


Bruised

by lalune15



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Artist Zayn, Fluff, Lilo (friendship), M/M, Teacher Louis, as in they broke up and now they're friends, former larry, pretty equal amounts zouis and lilo, smut (brief), very brief haylor, zouis
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-14
Updated: 2014-09-14
Packaged: 2018-02-17 07:57:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 24,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2302328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalune15/pseuds/lalune15
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Louis accidentally gives Zayn a black eye and it sets off the weirdest year of his life. Set in New Jersey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bruised

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This was meant to be a 10k fluffball but somehow it became a 24k one shot. I'm SO HAPPY it's done. It started out as a totally different idea but this is what it became. I hope you like it! Also, I don't have a beta or anything, so if this has a lot of errors, I'm sorry. Please comment/kudos/bookmark. Thank you! 
> 
> PS: I apologize to Larry shippers. Please don't hate me.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr under the same name!

“So, who’s going tonight?” Louis asks, voice muffled, as his pulls his shirt over his head.

 “You know, everyone, pretty much. Harry, Niall, Zayn, etc.” Liam replies, distracted by some baseball team on TV that Louis really couldn’t care less about.

 “Zayn? You didn’t tell me Zayn was coming!” Louis cries, glaring at Liam.

 “What, you don’t like him?” Liam asks, eyebrows knitting together in apparent confusion.

 “Don’t get me wrong, I like him,” Louis mutters, running his hands through his hair. “I just don’t like his whole dark, brooding, let-me-stare-at-everyone-but-not-actually-talk-to-them persona.”

 “Come on, Lou, he’s quiet. Not everyone can be as loud as you,” Liam comments, eyes returning to the game. He lets out a loud “Yeah!” as the Yankees score another run, causing Louis to jump in surprise.

 “There’s a difference between being quiet and having personality, Liam. Don’t get them confused.”

 “Well, he’s coming, so you better get used to it. Besides, I like him. He seems chill.”

 “You would like him,” Louis responds, rolling his eyes. “You’re too nice for your own good, Liam. You could probably get eleven chicken nuggets in a ten-piece meal and return the extra, then apologize to the person behind the counter for interrupting them.”

 Liam just looks at him, used to Louis’ antics by now. They’ve been friends since grade school; Louis ruling the class while Liam stuck to his side quietly. They couldn’t be more opposite, Liam serious and kindhearted and Louis forever joking and loudmouthed, but it worked. Louis is the only one who can fully bring Liam out of his shell and Liam is the only one who sees Louis’ more serious side, the mature protectiveness that he possesses for his sisters and the fierce loyalty he has for his friends and family. Louis has been there supporting Liam behind every risk he took, whether it was trying out for musicals in high school or asking a girl to prom, and Liam was the first person Louis came out to in middle school. He didn’t even bat an eye, just said he knew it all along and continued to eat his lunch. They’re as rock solid as a friendship can get.

 “Can we go?” Liam asks. “The Yanks won and now I’m bored.”

 “Yeah, hang on a sec,” Louis replies, shaking his hair out and flipping it back into place. He looks in the mirror and smiles approvingly. “Now we can go.”

 Liam and Louis meet the rest of their friends in a crowded bar, where they’ve claimed one of few tables in the back. Niall already seems to be a few beers in, gesturing wildly as he talks to a brunette at the bar, cheeks endearingly pink. Louis claps him on the shoulder as they pass, heading over to the chairs left open for them.

 “Louis!” Harry smiles, standing to greet him. Louis is not known for being great with breakups, but Harry is probably the best ex boyfriend in the entire world. The two of them ended on remarkably good terms, after realizing they’re better off friends then anything else. For a minute, they had felt so in love it hurt, but it wasn’t right for them, and they both knew it. Their relationship was volatile, dramatic and emotional, before they finally ended it. Louis had wanted to be angry, was a firm believer that exes could never be friends, but Harry has someone new now, a girl who he described as sweet and funny, and Louis couldn’t be happier for them.

 Louis returns the greeting and says hello to the other few at the table, before getting to Zayn. He’s sitting in the corner, naturally. Where else would dark, mysterious, drop dead gorgeous men sit to stare at everyone but never actually speak?

 “Zayn,” Louis says in acknowledgement, looking directly at him. It hurt, honestly. When Louis first met Zayn at a party Liam brought him to, Louis developed one of those sickeningly gross school girl crushes, unable to take his eyes off the Greek god of a human who somehow seemed to know everyone but not actually speak to them. He was wearing a leather jacket, had a cigarette permanently attached to his lips, and Louis thought he had just discovered the better-looking version of James Dean. It wasn’t until he repeatedly tried to drag Zayn into conversation that he decided his crush was a giant waste of time, a frustrating waste of time at that. Louis was over it before it began, deciding to make out with someone in the bathroom instead, a tall man whose name he can’t remember and whose face was utterly forgettable.

 Zayn just nods his head, bringing his glass up to take a long, smooth drink from it.

 “Lovely to speak with you as always,” Louis tells him, rolling his eyes before turning to catch up with Harry. He keeps his attention focused but can’t help feeling Zayn’s presence behind his back, quiet yet commanding. Liam takes a seat next to Zayn, speaks to him for a few minutes, infuriating Louis further. If Zayn doesn’t want to speak, fine. But if he chooses to speak to people who aren’t Louis, that simply won’t work.

 Which is why Louis decides to get spectacularly drunk instead, downing shots and stealing Liam’s glass every time he sets it down. Better then buying his own drinks. He can still feel Zayn’s presence, but rather than let it bother him, he’s decided to revel in it. It’s something about how quiet and guarded Zayn is that makes Louis want to speak louder, smile wider, shine brighter. He’s talking to the entire table now, telling one of his best stories about the time he almost got both himself and Liam arrested before sweet talking their way out of it, when it happens.

 Their friends are in hysterics, Harry tearing and Liam giggling wildly, when Louis, explaining the policeman’s rather stunning lack of sense of humor, gestures widely with his arm and feels his hand smack into something. Or, better yet, someone. Hard.

 "Oh my God, Zayn, are you ok?” Liam asks, brown eyes filling with concern. Zayn has one hand reflexively cupped over his eye, and Louis feels horrible.

 “I’m so sorry,” he blurts out. “I’m so, so sorry, it was an accident, I swear!”

 Zayn does something surprising to Louis, then. He drops his head back, mouth open, and laughs. It’s a beautiful laugh, really, earnest and sincere. He’s laughing so hard that Louis’ afraid he caused some brain damage, not just a potential black eye. Liam and Harry start laughing too, then everyone else, until Louis feels confused.

 “Let me get this straight,” Louis says loudly, clear as a bell, rather proud of himself for not slurring his words. “I just hit you, in the face, and instead of getting angry or telling me it’s ok or anything, you laugh? Seriously?”

 “Sorry, man,” Zayn giggles, wiping his eyes, teary from laughing so hard. “Your face was just, like, so funny. Your eyes were huge! I’ve never seen you look embarrassed before.” And he dissolves into laughter again.

 “Whatever,” Louis mutters, before sliding out from the table and deciding to use the bathroom. He stumbles slightly as he walks forward, but makes it to the bathroom in tact. He does what he needs to do and returns to the group, only to find Zayn gone and Niall in his place.

 “What are you doing here?” He asks Niall. “Where’s Zayn?”

 “Went to smoke, man. I heard all of you laughing like hyenas over here and decided to see what’s up. Did you really give him a black eye? Didn’t know you had it in you, Tommo.”

 “Fuck off,” he mumbles, getting up to head outside. He finds Zayn standing on the corner, smoking, and it’s really, really unfair that someone can look so beautiful while slowly killing himself.

 “You know, those will turn your lungs black,” he lets slip, mentally cursing himself for sounding so much like Liam. Lecturing is Liam’s job, mainly to Louis, but still. It’s not the best thing he could start with to someone he just slapped in the eye.

 To his credit, Zayn doesn’t say anything back, simply raising an eyebrow before turning his attention to watch the people tripping down the other side of the street, where there are more bars and restaurants.

 Louis just stands there, next to Zayn but not together, looking in the same direction. He’s wondering why he’s standing there, contemplating turning inside with every breath, when he hears, so quietly he’s afraid he imagined it, “It’ll match my eye then, won’t it?”

 “What?” Louis spits, eloquent as ever, as he turns to look at Zayn.

 “Black lungs, black eye, you know? Tends to happen when you’re smacked rather forcefully in the face by a drunk guy,” Zayn smiles.

 Louis blushes. “Look, I’m really sorry. I swear it wasn’t on purpose-“

 “Louis, it’s fine,” Zayn assures him, and Louis is surprised for a number of reasons. One, because Zayn actually knows his name and used it. Two, because this is the most Louis has ever heard Zayn say at a time, especially to him. But mostly because he’s drunk and standing in the crisp night air with the most beautiful boy he’s ever seen and he’s at a loss for words. Louis is never at a loss for words. Drinking usually has the opposite effect on him.

 “I know you didn’t hit me on purpose,” he continues, still smiling. “Although it wouldn’t have surprised me if you did.”

 “Come on,” Louis argues, finding his voice again. “You can’t actually have thought I’d hit you on purpose?”

 “To be fair,” Zayn counters, “you don’t really like me and you’re pretty dramatic. Sounds like a pretty good reason for hitting someone, in my eyes.”

 Louis scoffs. “I’m not that dramatic. And I don’t dislike you.” And this conversation is heading down a dangerous path, because Louis has had a lot to drink and he’s about five words away from telling Zayn that he’s so pretty it’s unholy and that Louis would like to slam him against the brick wall behind them and kiss him until he can’t breathe. That might be a little much for a first conversation, though.

 “Louis, you said my name like it was a disease and you very pointedly sat with your back towards me until you decided to tell the entire table that you got caught trying to steal the decal from a cop car when you were in high school.”

 “I would’ve stolen it if Liam was a better getaway driver,” Louis muttered. “For someone who likes Batman so much, he can’t drive a batmobile for shit.”

 Zayn laughs again and Louis laughs too because it’s just so ridiculous. He didn’t know Zayn was paying him so much attention, but now that he knows, Louis vows to act as entertaining as possible just to see him smile more.

 “What even possessed you to try to do that, anyway?” Zayn asks, incredulous.

“I wanted to win the scavenger hunt,” Louis replies, like it’s obvious. “The senior class always had a scavenger hunt with the most ridiculous shit on it and no one ever did the really challenging stuff. But I wasn’t going to win by showing up with one of my mom’s bottles of liquor and some innocent freshman I convinced to get in my trunk. That was too easy.”

 “It was easy for you to convince a poor kid to climb in the trunk of your car?” Zayn repeats. He shakes his head, then says, “You know what? I bet it was pretty easy for you to do that. In fact, I’m surprised I ever thought otherwise.”

 “What does that mean?” Louis huffs, looking offended.

 “It means you’re very convincing,” Zayn tells him. “You could probably get the Pope to convert.”

 Louis smiles smugly, pleased that that’s the impression Zayn has of him. He has always been told he’s very convincing. Or manipulative, but that doesn’t sound as good. Liam would always say the same thing after Louis persuaded him to drive their getaway car or steal Liam’s dad’s beer or cut class.

 “Yeah, well what about you?” Louis asks, noting that Zayn flicks his cigarette to the ground and stamps it out. He’s afraid he’s going to go back inside and he doesn’t want that to happen, not when he’s finally getting somewhere.

 Zayn laughs slightly, a small exhale of air. “What about me?”

 “You have this whole dark and mysterious thing going on, but I bet you have a lot of stories you don’t tell. So, come on. Tell me one.”

 “None of my stories could be nearly as exciting as yours, Louis,”Zayn says, deflecting the question.

 “Now that, I don’t believe that for a second,” Louis pushes his luck, reaching out to nudge his sneaker against Zayn’s boot.

 “Well, I guess some things are meant to remain dark and mysterious,” Zayn smiles teasingly at Louis, before turning around and heading back into the bar. And Louis stands there, stunned; because Zayn is much more clever and even more infuriating than Louis thought possible, and his crush is back with a vengeance.

 

Xx

 “Liam. Liam. Liam! Come on, wake up,” Louis barks, shoving Liam to the other side of his bed and crawling into the space he was occupying seconds earlier.

 “What?” Liam mumbles, hazy and sleepy. He was sleeping peacefully, cozy and warm in his bed, until Louis decided to worm his way into his bed and take it over. That’s probably a good metaphor for their entire friendship, come to think of it.

“He spoke,” Louis proclaims, like he’s making a grand announcement.

 “Who?”

 “Zayn.”

 “What are you talking about?” Liam turns to look at Louis, squinting and trying to look past him to his alarm clock, which Louis mocks him for relentlessly.

 "Just use your cell phone like a normal man in his twenties, Liam. Who actually uses an alarm clock anymore?”

 “Those of us who like to rely on more than a tiny computer to wake them up every day that won’t die if it falls on the floor or gets water spilled on it. Though I really don’t need either when I live with you,” Liam had pointed out, glaring.

 “Seriously, Liam, try to keep up,” Louis admonishes, sliding over to rest his head on Liam’s shoulder. Liam wishes he could say this wasn’t a routine occurrence, that Louis rarely came into his bed and demanded his attention, but that would be a horrible, horrible lie.

 “What time is it, even?”

 “It’s seven,” Louis informs him, smiling smugly, prepared for what’s coming.

 “You woke me up at seven on a Sunday to talk about Zayn? Seriously?”

 “Seriously,” Louis replies. “We had a real conversation, Li. Isn’t that great?”

 “Didn’t you tell me last night that you didn’t like him? Or sorry, not him, but his ‘whole dark, brooding, let-me-stare-at-everyone-but-not-actually-talk-to-them persona?’”

 “Honestly, Liam, don’t take everything I say so literally,” Louis rolls his eyes.

“You’re impossible. Did this conversation take place before or after you took six shots and hit him in the eye?”

 “After.”

 “Wow,” Liam remarks. “Good for Zayn. I would’ve hit you back.”

 “You would not you big baby, you can’t even kill spiders.”

 “Neither can you!” Liam points out.

 “I can. They just have to be in the shower, where I can spray water on them until they fall down the drain.”

 “Sorry. My mistake. So how did this happen?”

 “I went outside when he was smoking to, I don’t know, apologize or something. And he just started talking to me, like it was a totally normal thing to do,” Louis explains.

 “It was a totally normal thing to do. You’re a human and he’s a human and you were standing outside the same bar.”

 “It’s not normal when it’s Zayn, Liam! That’s like a God descending onto Earth to have a half assed conversation with a mere mortal.”

 “You? A mere mortal?”

 “Fuck off, I’m not telling you anything anymore. You’re no fun.”

 “Alright, alright, I apologize,” Liam says. “I promise I’ll listen. So. Tell me every painstaking detail before you buy me breakfast for being such a shitty roommate.”

 So Louis does tell him every minute, painstaking detail, spending minutes obsessing over one facial expression or the way Zayn pointed his feet. By the time he’s done the sun has fully risen and Liam is fully awake and Louis, having gotten that all out, decides he’s going back to bed.

 “You can’t go back to bed! You woke me up!” Liam cries as he walks down the hall to his own room.

 “I love you, Liam!” Louis yells back, before slamming the door to his room shut and falling promptly asleep for three more hours. When he wakes up, there’s a bagel waiting for him, and he really does love Liam. Which he tells him as he eats, making a point to stick his bagel-covered tongue out at Liam as often as possible.

 

Xx

 

“Is Zayn coming?” Louis asks Liam and Harry, who are both parked on the couch as Louis gets dressed.

 “Dunno,” Harry replies, his voice deep and rumbling, as he flips through the channels.

 “Come on, man, find a new topic,” Liam tells him, having heard about Zayn nearly every day this week.

 “Can’t,” Louis says shortly, walking out to them while simultaneously pulling his shirt over his head. “I have no love life and am unemployed. Zayn is the perfect mystery for me to spend my time solving.”

 “Still haven’t heard back from anyone?” Harry asks, gently. Louis has been trying nonstop to get a teaching job, but he hasn’t heard from anyone. Naturally. Leave him to be the idiot who tries to get a teaching job in the worst job depression in years.

 “Well, I got a few offers to substitute, so I’m doing that, but it’s not anything permanent,” Louis explains. “Not anything I want, anyway.”

 He spent the summer working as a drama teacher at a nearby summer camp, which he loved, but it was only for a few months. He was already offered the position for next summer and accepted, but it’s not nearly enough to last him all year. He’s always loved kids and they love him back, love his crazy attitude and absolute silliness. He’d be a great teacher, people tell him all the time; he just hasn’t gotten the opportunity to do it in practice, besides his student teaching jobs in college.

 “It’ll happen,” Harry promises. “You’d be the best teacher. I’d send my kid to you.”

 “Who says I’d want to teach your kid, Styles? He’d probably try to tell horrible jokes and throw banana peels all day,” Louis teases.

 “You love my horrible jokes,” Harry retorts.

 “We’re not dating anymore, Harry. I don’t have to lie.”

 “At least I don’t have to pretend to tolerate your horrible feet,” Harry yells back. “For the love of God, wear some socks.”

 “I second that,” Liam chimes in.

 “Beauty is pain,” Louis tells them both, giving them the finger as he slips into his vans, sans socks.

 Zayn does not show up at the bar, leaving Louis cranky and impossible. Harry’s on his phone, texting his girlfriend (whose identity he’s keeping secret), Liam’s chatting away with a pretty brunette and her friend, and Louis is miserable.  Niall didn’t show up either, has some family wedding or something to go to.

 “You alright?” Liam asks as he leans over Louis’ shoulder to order himself and the girls more drinks.

 “No,” Louis whines, petulantly. He’s already looked over every person at the bar, judging silently, and there’s no one either beautiful or interesting enough to hold his attention.

 “Look, dude, if you’re going to be this miserable because Zayn’s not here, then just text him or something. See where he is,” Liam tells him.

 “That’s impossible for a number of reasons, Liam, mainly because I don’t have his phone number and I’ve only said a handful of words to him, and vice versa,” Louis gripes, having no patience for Liam’s ever helpful suggestions.

 “Do you want, Lou, but Harry’s been friends with him for years. He’s probably got his number. And I’m sure he would give it to you, especially since he’s too nice to tell you he’d rather leave to be with whatever-her-name-is instead of sitting here with your downer ass.” Liam grabs the drinks and goes back to the girls, leaving Louis alone with his thoughts. And that won’t work.

 “Hey, Harry? Want to do me a favor?”

 Zayn’s standing in front of his easel, trying to think of what to paint, when his phone buzzes.

  _Where are you?_ Is all the message reads, from an unknown number. He slides the phone into his back pocket, not in the mood to deal with a wrong number situation. They’ll figure it out when he doesn’t answer. His phone buzzes again.

  _It’s Louis, btw. I’m out with Harry and Liam and they’re both being boring and I could use some more of your face to smack to liven things up._

 Zayn laughs to himself before typing out a response.

 Louis smiles to himself when he sees the three dots appear below his texts. He’s actually a little surprised Zayn’s answering him, to be honest. He guessed Zayn would ignore him, causing him even more humiliation. But Louis has never been the type to wait quietly. It took him months and an embarrassing blow to the eye to get Zayn once, he’s not going to go through that all over again.

  _Sorry. Guess you’ll have to find another poor soul to injure. My eye still has a purple tinge below it._

  _It does not!_

  _Does too. You’re pretty strong when you’re drunk._

_I’m pretty strong when I’m not drunk, too._

 Zayn chuckles but falters, unsure of how to respond. He’s just decided it’s too late to answer when his phone vibrates again.

  _You never answered my question, though? Why aren’t you out with us? And you better answer, I’ve already broken proper text etiquette twice and I don’t want to do it again._

  _I’m working_ , Zayn texts back. It’s short and impersonal, but it’s the best he can do. He prefers to not speak about his art to anyone. It’s not that he’s embarrassed by it, but it’s personal, so personal, and he’s never known anyone who reacted to it in a way he liked. They either commented that they didn’t get art or tried to turn it into something deep and pretentious that it’s really not.

  _Working? On a Saturday night? Your life sucks, Malik._

 _It is what it is_ , Zayn replies.

  _Well, I guess you better get back to your mysterious work. Everything about you is secretive, did you know that? I don’t even know what you do._

 _Well, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you_ , Zayn sends, hoping Louis gets the reference. His phone vibrates again.

  _Didn’t take you for a Tom Cruise fan._

 _Top Gun’s a classic_ , Zayn sends back.

  _You have shit taste in movies_ , Louis sends, hoping he’s not being too abrupt. He wants to ask Liam what he thinks, but Liam is still enraptured, although his new companion’s friend has wandered off somewhere else.

  _Says you_ , Zayn sends. Louis smiles at the screen, thinking of a response, when he sees three more little dots appear.

  _What movies do you like, then?_

_Actual classics. The Godfather, Forrest Gump, Grease, etc._

_You think Grease is a classic?_

  _I’m not even going to dignify that with a response._

_Whatever. To each his own, I guess._

_Sorry we can’t all be as cool as the elusive Zayn Malik._

_I am pretty cool, aren’t I?_

 Louis actually rolls his eyes at the phone, despite Zayn being nowhere near him.

  _Nah. Cool guys actually come out on Saturday nights and don’t leave their friends without a punching bag._

_Yeah, well good friends don’t hit their friends in the eye._

_Oh God, not this again._

_You brought it up!_

_You didn’t come to the bar tonight!_

_You’ve said that at least three times._

_You didn’t come to the bar tonight. That’s four._

  _Are you drunk?_

  _No._

_Are you sure?_

  _No._

 Zayn actually laughs out loud at that one, before looking at the blank canvas in front of him and realizing he really does have some work to get done. He groans and stares at his phone for a minute, the little screen taunting him as he tries to decide what to say.

  _Sorry, I have to go do something mysterious in a shroud of darkness. Have a drink for me._

_Was that sarcasm? I didn’t think you could be sarcastic._

_I didn’t think you could text without adding a million extraneous emojis. You learn something new every day._

 The string of nearly every emoji available he receives after that seems like a good place to end it. He turns back to his easel and decides to turn on some music, so he has something to work to. He’s looking at his paints, trying to find some inspiration, when it hits him. He’s going to have to start with blue. Icy, beautiful, startling blue.

 

Xx

 

“Liam.”

 “Go away Louis, I’m not in the mood for you this morning.”

 “If you can even call it morning,' Louis snorts.

 “Louis, I swear to God.”

 “But Li, look at this! Look at all the texts! He talked to me, Liam! Really, truly talked to me!”

 “That’s fantastic, Lou. Would be even better in the daylight.”

 "Fine. I’ll tell you later. But I’m sleeping with you.”

 “Fine. As long as you shut up.”

 “I love you, Liam.”

 “I love you, too. Now please shut up and go to sleep.”

 

Xx

 A week passes without Louis hearing from Zayn, and he’s getting increasingly agitated every time he looks at his phone and it’s not him. Liam’s getting frustrated, too.

 “Liammmm! I need help!” Louis whines from his perch on Liam’s bed as Liam sorts through his closet.

 “I’ll say,” Liam mutters. He pulls out two shirts and holds them up to Louis. “What about these?”

 "Not the white one, too formal. And not the red one, you look like a fire truck.”

 “So neither,” Liam summarizes, putting the shirts back in his closet. “Great.”

 “I don’t know why you’re freaking out so much,” Louis sighs, flopping onto his back and kicking his legs straight in front of him. “You already got her to go out with you. That’s like, a hundred light years away from where I am with Zayn.”

 “But this is the scary part,” Liam protests. “Like this is serious, I’m not just talking to some gorgeous girl in a bar. We’re actually going out, like seriously. And I don’t even have a decent outfit to wear.”

 “Ugh, move,” Louis huffs, getting up to stand in front of his closet. “You’re going to be fine. Go get in the shower and I’ll pick out your clothes.”

 “Really?” Liam asks gratefully.

 “Oh, don’t act so surprised, we both know I’d end up doing it anyway. So go. And shave, too. You don’t want to look sloppy on a first date.”

 Liam does as he’s told, scurrying off to the shower as Louis sorts through his clothes. He already has an idea in his mind, he’s become so attuned to Liam that he pretty much can visualize his closet. Not that it’s hard. Liam alternates between looking like a dirty mechanic and a serious accountant. It’s finding a mix that’s hard.

 When Liam comes out of the shower, towel wrapped around his waist, he finds a pair of black dress pants and a black button down on his bed, the rest of his clothes hung up neatly in his closet. He’s not sure what surprises him more, that Louis has actually left his bedroom or that he hung his clothes back up for him. He gets dressed before going out to find his best friend and roommate.

 “Man, are you sure about this? All black? It doesn’t look too funeral?”

 “No way, dude. You’re going to look really good.”

 “Are you sure?” Liam asks, knitting his brows together.

 “Positive. Everyone looks hot in all black. It’s like magic. Plus, Sophia seems like a classy girl. She’ll appreciate all black. It’s timeless.” Louis tells him, reaching up to adjust Liam’s hair and collar.

 “Just don’t tell her your gay roommate dressed you or did your hair and you’ll be perfect,” Louis smiles.

 “Thanks,” Liam exhales nervously, bouncing around on the balls of his feet.

 “Go get ‘em, tiger,” Louis punches Liam on the arm and pushes him towards the door.

 Liam leaves and Louis flops onto the couch, unsure of what to do with his Friday night. Harry’s out with his girlfriend, who’s blonde and tall, from what Louis’ learned. He still hasn’t met her, though. Harry seems pretty determined to keep her a secret. He could text Niall but he really doesn’t feel like getting drunk for the third weekend in a row. He does have his limits.

 That leaves him ordering massive quantities of Chinese food and deciding to watch movies on the couch until he passes out from a sodium coma. Which is why it makes sense that, after he’s put on his largest, hole-ridden, stained sweatpants, his phone starts to vibrate against the wooden coffee table.

 He knows, realistically, that Zayn can’t see him through a text message, but it feels like he can.

  _I’m watching Grease. How can you stand this movie? It’s so cheesy._

_It’s supposed to be cheesy, moron! It’s a musical set in the fifties!_

_John Travolta literally wears tighter jeans than I do._

  _John Travolta wears a leather jacket better than you do, too._

_That’s a low blow, man._

_Are you sure you don’t like this movie? It kind of seems like you want to be Danny Zuko. The hair, the jacket, the cigarettes._

_Not funny._

_It’s a little funny. If I stop teasing, will you take me to the drive-in?_

Louis sucks in a breath, eyes wide as he hits send. That’s about as blatant as he’s been towards Zayn. In a normal situation, Louis probably would have been head over heels at this point. He tends to move pretty quickly, and he never hesitates to make a first move. This is different, though. More careful, and more hesitant.

  _Only if you won’t leave when I put the moves on you._

_I’m not quite as lousy with virginity as Sandra Dee._

 Louis sees the three speech bubbles appear, then disappear. Zayn is clearly at a loss for words, and Louis feels a little amazed that he could do that. That he, Louis Tomlinson, can make someone as beautiful and intelligent as Zayn falter. Liam and Harry have always said Zayn’s shy, but Louis doesn’t think so. He thinks Zayn is a lot more confident than he lets on, purposely. He’s smart and choosey, always knowing when to hide and when to show his cards. It’s rare that he does put himself out there, but when he does, it’s always with meaning.

  _Well, I would hope not. That would make Liam the Rizzo. I don’t think that’s a fitting role for him._

  _Liam? Rizzo?! HA. Liam’s too good for his own good._

_Yeah, I would say so. Good is…nice. Bit boring though, in my opinion._

 Louis actually shoves his face into the pillow and screams. Where is Liam when he needs him? This is flirting, he’s sure of it. Zayn Malik, the beautiful boy who could command the world with a wave of his hand, is flirting with Louis. Louis, who has to stand on his tiptoes in pictures and can’t be bothered to change out his pajamas half the time. What is happening?

  _Oh? What do you like, then?_

 He bites his lip, both excited and terrified for Zayn to read that. He has so much adrenaline coursing through him that he’s tempted to blast music and dance around his entire apartment. He clutches the phone in his sweaty palm, legs bouncing a mile a minute, when it finally buzzes with a text.

  _Someone with a lot of life and personality. Someone who isn’t afraid to do stupid things because they know it’s worth the risk sometimes. Someone who can light up the room._

_That’s ironic, coming from the king of dark and brooding._

 Louis kicks himself. Why does Liam even let him talk to people? He was trying to flirt and instead he’s fairly certain he just insulted the potential love of his life.

  _Someone who can keep an entire room entertained but who also has a bite to him._

 Louis thinks his heart just stopped.

  _Opposites attract, yeah?_ He types with shaky hands.

_I think so._

 Fuck it, Louis mutters to himself. You only live once, right?

  _What are you doing tomorrow night?_

 Liam walks through the door expecting Louis to be waiting up for him. Louis’ been doing it since their senior year of high school, the first time Liam ever asked a girl out. He was so nervous before that he thought he was going to throw up. Louis came over, picked out his outfit, and gave Liam some advice before he clapped him on the shoulder and wished him luck. And when the date went horribly and Liam came home downtrodden and miserable, Louis was sitting on his bed waiting for him.

 So he expects Louis to be awake waiting to hear how it went. He doesn’t expect Louis to pounce on him the second he opens the door.

 “You’re home! How did it go?” Louis is jumping around like a madman, and Liam’s suspicious.

 “Why are you so antsy?”

 “I’m fine! I just want to know how your date went!”

 “Is this that thing you do when you have news but you don’t want to seem rude by blurting it out so you rush other people until you can spill it?”

 “I’m going out with Zayn tomorrow! Ok, I said it. Now you.”

 “Wait, what?”

 Louis’ still jumping, like a kid on Christmas morning. “I don’t even know, Liam. Zayn started texting me tonight and we were talking for a while and then I decided to just ask him and he said yes! And now I’m going out with the Greek god tomorrow! And I don’t even know how it happened.”

 Liam just looks at him. “Are you serious?”

 “One hundred percent.”

 “Holy shit, Lou. I mean, I knew you were determined and all, but damn. That’s incredible! I’m so happy for you.”

 “But I meant it. I want to hear about you. How was it? How was Sophia? Did she like your outfit?”

 Liam laughs and starts walking into his bedroom, knowing Louis will follow, still talking a mile a minute. “Yes, she loved the outfit. No, I did not tell her you picked it out. And yes, before you ask, I told her about you. And it went well. Really, really well.”

 “It went well? Well? That’s all I get, ‘it went well?’”

 “It was only a first date, Lou. Not too much to tell yet.”

 “You’re such a weirdo, Liam Payne. If it was me, I’d be telling you every single detail, down to the color of her nail polish.”

 “Red.”

 “Wait, you actually looked?”

 Liam blushes. “I just noticed, that’s all. Her nails were red.”

 Louis narrows his eyes. “Uh huh. You can say ‘it went well’ all you want, Liam, but I know better. Just let me know when it’s time to start planning a best man speech.”

 “Who says you’d be the best man?”

 Louis saunters out of the room, flipping Liam the finger behind his back. “As if you’d have a choice.”

 

Xx

 

“Liam, what the hell am I supposed to wear?”

 “Clothes would be a start. Jesus, Louis.”

 “It’s just boxer briefs, Liam. I’m not nude or anything.”

 “Might as well be,” Liam mutters under his breath.

 “Can you just shut up and help me?”

 “You and I both know that whatever I pick you’re going to reject and throw into a pile onto your floor,” Liam points out.

 “Exactly!” Louis cries. “You narrow my options!”

 “Just do what you did for me. Wear all black. Sophia liked it,” Liam shrugs.

 Louis just looks at him, the annoyance clear on his defined features.

 “What?” Liam asks, looking sheepish. “You said it’s a classic!”

 “Yeah, exactly!” Louis huffs. “I’m not a classic type of guy, Liam! You are. You’re practically out of Leave it to Beaver. I’m more Will and Grace.”

 “Are you Jack?”

 Louis tosses a shirt at Liam’s face. “Not helping!”

 “Louis, I don’t know why you’re stressing out. You literally always look fine, minus the time you decided to wear all purple. What was with that, anyway? You looked like a grape.”

 “I thought,” Louis replies, taking deep yoga breaths like he’s trying to hold onto the last shred of his patience. “That we agreed to never talk about the grape juice outfit again. Not to mention that was your hoodie I stole. And I was eighteen.”

“See? Only one fashion mistake and it was that many years ago? You’ll be fine.”

 “That many years ago? I’m not decrepit, Liam.”

 “Louis, I think you’re focusing on the wrong things. Zayn said he’d be here at eight and it’s…seven forty-five.”

 “Fuck!” Louis swears, grabbing a pair of black jeans and hopping into them. They’re tight and dark, helping to elongate his legs and accentuate his ass. Perfect. He grabs a gray knit sweater and tosses it yanks it over his head. Outfit done. He only has his hair. Which should only take about…thirty minutes.

 Luckily for Louis, Zayn shows up about fifteen minutes late. He knocks quietly on the door and Louis pushes Liam out of the way in his race to the door.

“Liam. Go away,” he growls.

 “What? No way,” Liam laughs, trying to push past Louis to get the door.

 “Liam, if you open that door, God help me I’ll tell everyone we know about the first and only time you smoked weed and got so paranoid that you called your mom and cried.”

 Liam looks deeply offended. “Low blow, Louis.”

 “Go hide in your room. I’ll see you later.”

 “Yeah, whatever,” Liam replies, heading to his room.

 “Love you!” Louis calls after him. He adjusts his sweater and walks over to the door trying to appear calm. He swings it open.

 “Hi,” he greets Zayn, smiling at him nervously.

 “Hi,” Zayn smiles back. “Ready to go?”

 "Yep. Let’s go.”

 They’re sitting at dinner, a casual Italian place, more upscale than pizza but not so formal that you can’t wear jeans.

 “Wait,” Louis says. “You can’t swim? Really?”

 “Really,” Zayn promises. “Can’t swim to save my life.”

 But,” Louis pipes up, “you live in New Jersey. It’s like the law that you spend summers at the beach or someone’s pool. And that typically involves swimming.”

 “Yeah, I wasn’t a big beach person,” Zayn says. “I liked to stay inside.”

 “So…what did you do all those summers?” Louis asks. “How much could you do indoors?”

 “I drew. I sketched my own comic book. I had a bad graffiti phase that I thankfully grew out of.”

 “You’re artistic, huh?” Louis asks, stuffing a piece of bread into his mouth.

 “Well, yeah,” Zayn says. “It’s kind of my job.”

 “Hmmmph,” Louis tries to speak, but his mouth is full of bread. He swallows loudly, then tries again. “Honestly? Is that your job?”

 “Kind of,” Zayn says.

 Louis just looks at him, waving his hand for Zayn to go on.

 “I, um, I paint. And I sell them, at galleries and art shows and stuff.”

 “Really? That’s incredible,” Louis says, impressed. Zayn blushes and looks down at his feet. It’s the first time Louis’ seen him appear anything but cool and collected. He decides a change of subject is in order.

 “Well, maybe next summer you can help me paint sets for the drama production.”

 “What drama production?”

 “I work at a summer camp from June to August as a theater coach, and we put on a show at the end of the summer. It’s fun. Last year we did Into the Woods.”

 Zayn nods, not even pretending to know what Into the Woods is. “So do you get to pick the shows?”

 “Yeah, normally. It’s only the beginning of October though, so I really haven’t put much thought into it yet.”

 “Can I suggest Grease?” Zayn asks, smiling. “It’s kind of grown on me a little.”

 “Yeah?’ Louis smiles. “I’ll definitely put it in the running.”

 They talk through the rest of the meal, and it’s not awkward in the slightest. They have more in common than either of them would have guessed, like younger sisters and similar taste in food, but more important things, too. They’re both smart, though Zayn has a more understated intelligence while Louis is sharp and witty. They have a similar sense of humor, a little twisted and peculiar, but it works. And they’re both insisting on paying the check.

 “Dude, just let me pay it. It’s not that big a deal,” Zayn argues.

 “Yeah, but I asked you. That means it’s my responsibility.”

 “But I picked you up. So technically, I brought you here.”

 “Technically, you didn’t pick me up, since we walked. You just met me along the way.”

 “You’re impossible.”

 “Likewise.”

 “Well,” Louis says, pretending to think it over. “I guess I could let you get the next one, and then we’ll be even.”

 “That’s fine,” Zayn agrees, smiling. “But then who gets the one after that? Are we going to do this back and forth every date?”

 “Are there going to be more dates?” Louis asks, meeting Zayn’s eyes. He really has the most incredible eyes. The word brown doesn’t do it justice, more of an amber that’s just beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking.

 “Louis, I would like for there to be many more dates. So many I lose count,” Zayn tells him.

 “So…” Louis draws the word out, slipping his card into the bill. “Do you wanna walk me home?”

 For all his confidence, swagger, bravado, whatever you want to call it, Louis is surprisingly timid in relationships. He’s great at getting guys, no question about it. He knows how to get someone interested and attracted and pretty much wrapped around his finger. It’s once he has them that he doesn’t know what to do with them. Which is why, as much as he wants to hold Zayn’s hand, he’s walking next to him, closely, but with just enough distance that they’re not touching.

 Zayn’s quite the opposite, actually. He doesn’t know how to ask someone out, to get someone interested, but once he gets past the beginning awkwardness and figuring out how to fit two lives together, he’s great. He has a quiet confidence that tends to take over when he’s with someone. But there’s something that’s bothering him first, as he listens to Louis tell him a story about him and Liam from their college years, the only time they’ve ever been apart.

 “I know it’s weird and probably stupid to ask this, but I have to ask…did you and Liam ever date?”

 “What? No. No no no no no no no. Absolutely not.”

 “Sorry, you guys are just really close and you know him so well. Like, this is the first time I’ve ever seen you separated from each other, so I felt like I had to ask,” he explains as they approach Louis’ apartment building.

 “Liam’s…my best friend,” Louis tells Zayn. “He’s been my best friend since we were, like, single digits. But we would never date for a number of reasons, primarily because he’s straight as an arrow and I’m gay. But also because there’s never been a smidge of attraction there, not even a little. He’s just my best friend. Like the JD to my Turk, you know?”

 “Wouldn’t Liam be Turk? He has muscles and everything.”

 “Please. I’m definitely the cooler one. And I’m better at sports, for what it’s worth. At least soccer.”

 “Interesting,” Zayn remarks. He feels a weight lift off his shoulders, as stupid as it was. “Um…so did Liam really smoke and get so paranoid that he cried to his mom?”

 Louis smacks his arm. “I didn’t know you were listening to that!”

 Zayn just grins and reaches down to grab Louis’ hand for the short remainder of their walk.

 They reach Louis’ door and Louis stops.

 “So, um…this was-“ And Zayn cuts him off, leaning forward to kiss Louis sweetly, feeling like there’s nothing in his way. Louis kisses him back, soft and gentle, bringing his hands up to wrap around Zayn’s neck.

 Zayn pulls back and smiles and Louis decides to just go for it, etiquette be damned. He’s waited for what feels like years to be in this position; he’s not going to waste his time.

 “Do you, um, do you want to come in?”

 Louis breathes a sigh of relief that Liam is not laying on the couch, waiting for him to come home. That might make a bad impression after the conversation they just had.

 “Have a seat,” he tells Zayn, gesturing to the couch. “Do you want something to drink?”

 “No, I’m good,” Zayn answers, sitting gingerly on the couch. What he wants is for Louis to join him so he can pretty much jump his bones, but he doesn’t think he can just drop that into casual conversation. Louis pours himself a glass of water and joins Zayn, tucking his feet under himself and turning to look at him.

 “You have amazing eyes,” Zayn tells him, locking eyes with him. “They’re like, the best shade of blue.”

 “I could say the same,” Louis replies, smiling. “The word brown, or hazel, doesn’t do you any justice. It’s like looking into liquid gold.”

 Zayn looks away again and Louis laughs. “Come on, dude. You’re like, a god. You can’t seriously be embarrassed when people compliment your appearance.”

 “I can be embarrassed when other extremely good looking people compliment me,” Zayn says, not bothering to deny what Louis said. It would be a lie, anyway. Zayn long ago accepted he was attractive; he also accepted that it was meaningless. He’d rather be smart or talented or something that he worked for, not just a face he has no control over.

 It’s Louis’ turn to blush and look away. “I look like a homeless man next to you. Like a homeless man and a Vogue model walking down the street together.”

 “Or,” Zayn says, moving closer. “A Vogue model and a…Vans model walking down the street. You have the perfect, messy, skater boy hair,” he compliments, reaching up to run his fingers through it. Louis meets his eyes again and grins, before leaning in to kiss Zayn.

 An hour later they’re both shirtless and disheveled, still making out on Louis’ couch.  Louis’ on top of Zayn, grinding his hips slowly, relishing in the friction of him against Zayn. He can feel Zayn straining against his jeans; know he feels the same way. It takes a while for Louis to find the willpower, but he finally pulls his mouth off of Zayns and takes a beat. “Is it horribly wrong if I ask if you want to come to my room?”

 “No,” Zayn smiles lazily. “Because I wasn’t planning on going anywhere else.”

 Louis stands and grabs Zayn’s hand, pulling him up and leading him down the hall. He says a silent prayer that his room is not covered in rejected outfit choices and half full water bottles when he opens the door and pushes Zayn onto the bed. He hovers over him on his hands and knees, kissing him hard, before he starts working on Zayn’s jaw and neck, stopping to give Zayn little bites that he knows are going to leave a mark.

 Zayn’s moved his hands down to Louis’ belt, working on undoing it before sliding it off and tossing it onto the floor. He’s dimly aware of hearing it clank onto the ground before he’s unbuttoning the fly of Louis’ jeans. He starts to tug them down and Louis rolls over, grabbing his jeans and sliding them all the way off.

 “Now you,” he mumbles, helping Zayn remove his jeans before they’re kissing again, like they’re inseparable at the mouth. Louis dips his hand under the waistband of Zayn’s boxers then decides to do without them altogether. The boxers hit the floor too, and before Zayn can get his thinking clear Louis’ kissing him again and reaching down, running his thumb over the head as precome beads out, using it to lubricate his hand as he wraps it around Zayn’s dick.

 “Louis,” Zayn breathes as Louis pumps his hand up and down slowly, agonizingly slow.  He’s arching his back, murmuring a string of “Louis” and “Please” and ”Want you” against Louis’ neck.

 Louis hisses as Zayn’s hand comes up to wrap around him, cupping his balls and pumping him up and down. It kind of feels like a dry hand job Louis would have gotten in high school, but he’s not complaining. Zayn removes a hand and Louis stops, actually shaking his head so he can think straight. Lube. Condoms. They need lube and condoms and they need them now.

 Louis fumbles around in the drawer of his nightstand until he finds them, tossing a condom onto the bed and coating his fingers before he turns back to Zayn, who’s lying on his back with a pillow under his lower back, giving Louis a better angle. He leans down to kiss Zayn again, messy and wet, before his fingers are circling Zayn’s hole, teasing. Zayn moans as Louis moves further down, running his tongue along the vein on the underside of Zayn’s dick, lying against his stomach.

 Louis pushes his first finger in, taking his time so he doesn’t hurt Zayn, and Zayn’s hot and tight against his finger and Jesus, how is he going to fit inside that? Zayn’s arching his back and muttering a slew of dirty words, begging for Louis as he works in another finger and then one more, curling and scissoring and opening Zayn the best he can.

 “Louis, please,” he whines, and that’s all it takes for Louis to pull his fingers out, Zayn groaning at the emptiness. Louis rolls on the condom and slicks it with lube before he’s back in front of Zayn, lining himself up before slowly pushing himself in. For a second it feels like time’s suspended, like everything’s frozen. Their eyes are locked and they’re so connected that it’s too much and not enough all at once.

 But then Louis snaps back to reality and draws out of Zayn, feeling him clench around him as he pulls back. They both cry out as he pushes back in, relishing in the feeling of each other. Zayn’s chanting his name and he thrusts in and out, changing his angle to find the right spot. Zayn stops talking, his mouth dropping open into a perfect “O” and Louis knows he’s found it.

 “Harder,” Zayn orders as Louis thrusts back in. “Harder, babe, please. Harder.” He only had to say it once. Louis’ slamming into him, pushing him back with each motion, lifting Zayn’s knees to allow better access as Louis hits his prostate repeatedly.  He’s reached down to grasp his own dick, stroking it harder and harder, desperately.

 “Louis, I’m-I’m going to, fuck.” Louis doubles his efforts, giving it his all until Zayn cries out, spilling onto his own chest. Louis follows, the feel of Zayn squeezing around him as he comes too much for Louis to take. He pulls out slowly, noticing Zayn wince at the withdrawal, before pulling off the condom and tossing it into the trash. He stands up to get a washcloth from the bathroom, legs shaking. He feels like he just found fucking nirvana. He’s had sex before, great sex, but nothing like that. Never with anyone like Zayn. Even Harry, the only person Louis felt close to loving, was not like that.

 He joins Zayn on the bed and wipes off his chest before throwing the washcloth to the ground. He’ll deal with it tomorrow. Zayn’s laying there, not saying anything, and Louis is so afraid he’s going to get up and leave. He doesn’t want this to be a one-night stand; no matter what impression he just gave. So when Louis lies down, he almost cries from happiness when Zayn crawls over and lays his head on his chest. It’s intimate, probably far too intimate for a first date, but Louis doesn’t care. He closes his eyes and falls asleep.

 “Liam! Liam wake up!”

 “Jesus, Louis, what do you want?” Liam groans.

 “I have a boy in my room,” Louis tells him, almost giggling from how childish it sounds.

 “Yeah, I know, Louis. You’re not as quiet as you think. And you better be dressed or I’m going to kill you.”

 “Relax, Li, I put pajamas on. Now tell me what to do,” Louis begs.

 “What do you mean, what to do?” Liam repeats. “You’re nearly twenty-five years old, you don’t know how to deal with a boy in your bed?”

 “Not a boy who I really, really want to be there. What if he thinks this is all some one-night thing, Li? I could have really fucked it up,” Louis whines.

 “Louis. Regardless of whether this is a one-night stand or not, how is it going to look if Zayn wakes up and you’re in here? Get in there and wait until he wakes up and figure it out!”

 “Good point,” Louis sighs, getting out of Liam’s bed. “Wish me luck.”

 “Don’t be so dramatic,” Liam tells his retreating figure.

 Louis flips him off as he walks back to join Zayn. Typical.

 Holy shit, Zayn can sleep. Louis pretended to be asleep until normal waking hours, and then he gave up all pretenses. He wishes he could lie in bed with a naked Zayn all day, but he can’t. He just can’t. He gets up and showers, dresses and does his hair, and is out in the kitchen eating cereal when Zayn finally shuffles out to join him, dressed in his clothes again. He takes the seat next to Louis at their kitchen table, noting the peeling turquoise paint on it. He likes it. Their entire apartment is kind of eclectic, really. Nothing matches and everything is a different color, but it works. Like a circus.

 “Unbelievable,” Louis says, by way of greeting.

 “Huh?” Zayn asks, clearly confused.

 “You just woke up and you still look perfect. Un-fucking believable.”

 Zayn gives him a lopsided grin, reaching over to swipe his glass of orange juice.

 “Hey! Get your own,” Louis cries.

 “No,” Zayn replies simply, draining the glass. “You look pretty cute when you wake up, too.”

 “You wouldn’t know,” Louis says. “Have you ever been told you sleep like the dead?”

 “Have you been told you talk in your sleep?”

 “I do not,” Louis huffs, offended.

 “You do, too. It’s alright though. It’s kind of endearing,” Zayn smiles.

 Louis has no response to that. “Do you want cereal?” He asks dumbly. “We have, like, an entire cabinet of it. It’s pretty much all we do have.”

 “Sorry,” Zayn says, standing up. “I actually have to go. I am way, way behind on my work.”

 “Are you going to tell me what you’re painting?” Louis asks, raising his eyebrow.

 “Nope. It’s a secret,” Zayn tells him, reaching over to kiss him on the cheek. “I seriously have to go, though. But I’ll call you?”

 “Oh, don’t be such a cliché,” Louis admonishes.

 “It’s not a line,” Zayn insists. “I have to work all day, but I’ll call you tonight, yeah?”

 “Yeah,” Louis smiles up at him. “Talk to you later, then.”

 “Later,” Zayn agrees, bending down to give him a proper kiss before he leaves. He walks out the door and Louis watches him leave, before immediately yelling, “Liam!”

 After hashing out every detail with Liam and deciding to actually clean his apartment to distract himself, Louis feels exhausted. He’s decided to call it a night around nine, crawling into bed and putting on a Harry Potter just so he has something to listen to as he drifts off. He’s trying not to think about how he hasn’t heard from Zayn, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. When he wakes up, Harry’s screaming at Snape to fight back and his phone’s buzzing under his pillow.

 “’lo?”

 “Were you asleep?” Zayn asks quietly.

 “Yeah, sorry. I put on the TV and I just passed out,” Louis groans. “But it’s ok. Did you get any work done?”

 “Yeah,” Zayn tells him, still speaking quietly like he’s afraid to wake him up. “I got, like, four pieces done. It was kind of amazing.”

 “That’s great,” Louis encourages, and he means it. He only wishes he could see them. He lets out a huge yawn and hates himself for it because of what Zayn says next.

 “Alright, I’m going to let you sleep. Talk to you tomorrow, though?”

 Louis wishes he could tell him no, that he wants to keep him on the phone all night, but that seems a bit extreme. Instead he agrees, saying, “Yeah. Good night.”

 “Night, babe.” Zayn hangs up and Louis feels like his heart is going to explode.

 

Xx

 

“So what are you doing the second Saturday in December?” Zayn asks, nudging his nose into Louis’ neck. They’re in Louis’ apartment, on the couch, pretending to watch a movie but really just using it as an excuse to make out on the couch. It’s been three weeks since their first date and things have slowed down a bit. They had to, or else the two would be married with a kid on the way by now.

 “I don’t know…hanging out with some guy, I guess,” Louis mumbles, trying not to show how much the bites and kisses Zayn are leaving around his collarbone are driving him crazy.

 “Oh, just some guy?” Zayn bites into Louis harder and grabs his hands, pinning them behind Louis’ back and refusing to let go.

 “Yeah, you know, just this scruffy dude from some bar. No one important or anything.” Louis is trying so hard to keep his cool as Zayn kisses around his mouth, but not actually touching his lips, driving Louis legitimately insane. He’s trying not to squirm, but if his arms weren’t pinned back he’d grab Zayn and kiss him with more force than he thought possible.

 “Well, I’m no one important, so I guess I better stop then,” Zayn teases, drawing away. Louis lets out a tiny whimper and he laughs, leaning in close. “Too bad.”

“Ugh, you’re the worst,” Louis groans. “What are we doing on the second Saturday of December?”

 Zayn grins. “We’re going to my art show, so you can finally see what I’ve been working on for so long. If you want to come.”

 “Of course I want to come, dummy,” Louis scolds. “I wouldn’t miss it. Now let me go and kiss me for real.” So they do.

 It’s two nights later, Halloween, and Zayn and Louis both agreed to pass on the matching costume thing and just meet up at Niall’s party. Liam and Louis are walking over together, keeping a quick pace to combat the cold night air, surrounded by drunk college kids and a few trick or treaters.

 “Shouldn’t you be at some thing with Sophia?” Louis asks. “Not that I’m not loving your company for the first time in weeks.”

 “Seriously, Lou? You and Zayn have been attached at the mouth for days on end. Sophia and I are taking things slow. You should try that for once.”

 “You still haven’t slept with her? Come on, dude, it’s been almost a month,” Louis says.

 “Yeah, and we’re not doing anything until we’re ready. Now shut up and pass me the flask. It’s freezing out here,” Liam gripes.

 “What flask?” Louis asks.

 “The flask of Fireball I saw you slide into your jacket, man. You’re not as smooth as you think,” Liam points out, completely blowing Louis’ cover.

 “Fine,” Louis gives in, rolling his eyes. “But if there’s none left to mix with Angry Orchard I’m going to kill you.”

 “You’ll be fine Lou, one sip isn’t going to hurt you.” Liam takes a long drag, passing the flask back to Louis. “So is Zayn dressing as Sandy?”

 “Ha!” Louis barks, tucking his hands into his jeans. He’s dressed as Danny Zuko, complete with a leather jacket and slicked back hair. “I have no idea what Zayn is dressing as. I’m finally dating him and he’s still as mysterious as ever.”

 “Bummer,” Liam says. He dressed as a basketball player. Boring, in Louis’ opinion. “I would have paid to see him in a skirt.”

 “He’d look good in a skirt, too,” Louis adds, smiling dreamily.

 “Oh my God, Louis, you’re obsessed!” Liam exclaims.

 “Can you blame me? Have you seen him?”

 “Not everything is about looks, Louis” Liam scolds.

 “Obviously,” Louis scoffs indignantly. “I’m friends with you, aren’t I?”

 Liam shoots him a look.

 “Ugh, Liam, you’re no fun. I’m fully aware that there’s more to Zayn then looks. He’s extremely talented, smarter than anyone gives him credit for, perceptive, kind, and fun, once he’s comfortable. He’s the whole package. And he just happens to have an incredible face to go along with all of that. He’s like an unearthly being.”

 “So does your boyfriend return the favor? Does he like you as much as you like him?” Liam asks.

 “He’s not my boyfriend. And I don’t know. I hope so…Shit! Do you think he doesn’t like me? Is that why you asked? Fuck, Liam! What if I’m like this lovesick idiot over here and he just tolerates me? Like, I’m only ok or something. I couldn’t blame him, really, I-“

 “Whoa, dude, chill. I didn’t mean to set you off,” Liam holds his hands up in apology. “Of course I think Zayn likes you as much as you like him. He’d be stupid not to, right? I was just asking if you guys had the whole, like, talk yet. Like, if you were official or anything. But it’s fine; he likes you. He really likes you, Louis. And if he didn’t I’d kick his ass,” Liam pounds his fist into his other hand, mock threatening.

 “Don’t ask stupid questions then, Liam,” Louis mutters, clearly upset.

 “I didn’t think it was going to freak you out that much! Just ask him. Ask him if he wants to be your boyfriend. I’m sure he’ll say yes and then you’ll feel much better.”

 “Don’t patronize me,” Louis snaps. “I’m not in the sixth grade!”

 “Well this whole does-he-like-me thing seems a little childish to me!” Liam retorts, frustrated. “Sorry I brought this up.”

 They walk the next few blocks in silence. “Sorry I jumped down your throat,” Louis mutters quietly. If there’s one thing he hates, it’s apologizing.

 “It’s ok, Lou. Just talk to him. You’ll be fine,” Liam encourages, wrapping an arm around Louis’ neck. “You’ve got this.”

 “Harry!” Louis cried in greeting, when he sees the tall boy dressed as…”a deer? You dressed as a deer?” And ok, Louis might have snuck some more sips from the flask on their walk, but honestly. Harry’s standing in front of him with antlers on.

 "Yup,” Harry nods, taking a long pull of his beer. Normally he would be joking back with Louis, making some horrible joke about being a-doe-able, not nodding somberly and drinking by himself.

 “You alright, man?” Louis asks, trying not to appear too impatient as he scans the room for Zayn behind Harry’s curly head.

 “Yeah, I’m fine. Zayn’s over there if that’s who you’re looking for,” Harry points to the bar, looking morose. Louis wants to stay, find out what’s bothering Harry so much, but he needs to find Zayn.

 “I’ll see you in a bit, alright?” Louis claps Harry on the shoulder and sets off in Zayn’s direction, taking note of the quiet nod Harry does and the long knocks of beer that he normally wouldn’t be drinking. Harry’s more of a mixed, fruity drink type of guy.

 “Boo,” he whispers into what he hopes is Zayn’s ear, creeping up behind his shoulder and swiping a beer from the bar. Zayn, unflappable as ever, doesn’t even jump, just turns around and breaks into a grin.

 “Heyyyyy,” he drawls, checking out the costume. “Grease lightening!”

 “Tell me about it, stud,” Louis replies dramatically, cocking his hip out and bringing his hand to meet it. He leans in and kisses Zayn quickly before drawing back and looking him up and down. “Wow, a vampire. How original,” he comments, rolling his eyes.

 “Don’t judge,” Zayn scolds. “I might have to suck your blood later.”

 “Or something,” Louis mutters dirtily, before breaking into laughter. “Oh God, I can’t believe I just made that joke. That was horrible.”

 “All your jokes are horrible, babe,” Zayn smiles, reaching out to tangle their fingers together. Louis is struck with the memory of his former conversation with Liam, and he feels his grip on Zayn tighten involuntarily. It’s not that hard to ask, right? He just has to do it.

 He starts to open his mouth when Niall bounces over the two of them, effectively ruining the nerve Louis had just worked up.

 “Lads!” He shouts, clearly drunk, his cheeks pink and his eyes squinty.

 “Um, hey,” Louis tries not to laugh, watching Niall sway in place. “What the fuck are you dressed as?”

 “I’m Peter Pan!” Niall cries, spinning around to show off his green leggings and long green t-shirt.

 “Niall, you literally just look like you put on green women’s clothing,” Zayn criticizes.

 “Fuck, I lost my hat!” Niall yelps, reaching up to his head, only to find his flat, blonde and brown hair. Zayn and Louis burst into laughter as Niall starts frantically looking for the hat that he apparently lost somewhere in his crowded apartment. They’re still laughing when Louis realizes he’s been drinking more than he realized, and that he needs the restroom. Badly.

 “I’ll be right back,” he calls over his shoulder as he heads to wait in line for the bathroom. He finagles his way to the front of the line and does what he needs to do before he stumbles out. He hears noises coming from the bedroom and makes a face, deciding to be a dick and spy on whoever’s in there. He creeps into the room, only to find Harry sitting on the bed, spitting angrily into his phone. He freezes, unsure of what to do, when Harry looks up and catches his eye. He hangs up the phone and stares at Louis for a moment, before shaking his head and running a hand through his wild hair.

 “Um…hi,” Harry mutters, pressing his fingers to his eyes.

 “Hi,” Louis says back tentatively. “Are you sure everything’s alright?”

 Harry opens his mouth to speak, then shuts it, covering his face with his hands. Louis hears him sigh, then sniffle. Harry’s always been emotional. It was a big problem when they were dating, both of them accustomed to being the most reactive and emotional in the room. That’s why they didn’t work; both of them were too ruled by their hearts and not enough by their heads. A relationship needs a balance between passion and logic; an excess of either is what ruins it. But Harry was rarely a sad emotional. He’s normally fairly happy and bubbly, lighting up a room but also able to calm people down and restore peace. It’s when he’s upset that Harry tends to get more withdrawn. Louis has very rarely seen him visibly upset.

 Louis exhales, making his way over to the bed and sitting on the edge of it next to Harry. “I know you’re not alright, and I also know you don’t want to talk about it, but you’re going to. So tell me why you’re sitting in Niall’s filthy bedroom when you could be prancing about in the other room, antlers and all.”

 Harry gives him a shaky smile, then sighs and looks down at his moccasin-clad feet. “It’s Taylor. We’re fighting.”

 “Taylor…your girlfriend?” Louis assumes, not wanting to cause more problems but also needing to know what’s wrong.

 “Yeah,” Harry sighs. “She was supposed to come with me tonight but she bailed. For like the hundredth time.”

 Louis just nods, not entirely sure of what to say. It’ll only take one wrong word for Harry to stop talking, he knows, so he just makes an acknowledging sound, encouraging him to go on.

 “And she keeps acting weirdly possessive. Like she doesn’t want to come out with me but she also wants me to be hanging onto her every word. And I’m really not sure what to do. She started out so cool and funny but it kind of seems like an act. And, God, I hate phony people,” Harry moans, glancing at the lit up screen on his phone. Five text messages in a row are displayed.

 “Look, Harry, I can’t tell you what to do, nor should I. If you think she’s worth getting through this for, then you have to do it. But I also know you like to see and believe the best in people, and it makes you good. Too good. Lord knows what you saw in me,” Louis laughs. “But,” he continues, “Sometimes people are more bad than good. Or more likely, just not good for you. But someone out there is right for you, and deep down you know if she’s right for you or not. So go with your gut. It hasn’t steered you wrong yet, has it?”

 Harry makes an acknowledging sound in the back of his throat, still sounding despondent. Louis leans over and hugs him, and that’s what does it. Harry’s drunk, he’s upset, and he’s crying. Tears are soaking the shoulder of Louis’ white t shirt, but he doesn’t make an effort to move, just sits there, arms around his friend. He rubs his hand on his back a few times before Harry’s sniffing slows and Louis pulls back. “I’ve got to get back out there, I said I would be right back almost forty minutes ago. But you’ll be ok, yeah? You’re gonna get through this.”

 Harry nods, looking a little better. He needed the emotional release, Louis thinks. So he gives him a dorky salute and a smile before turning to go find Zayn.

 “Hey!” He shouts, the music loud, poking Zayn in the side. Zayn just looks at him, eyebrow raised. He doesn’t say anything, but Louis can tell he’s pissed. He grabs his hand and drags him away from the stereo, into Niall’s cluttered kitchen.

 “What’s wrong?” He asks, taking in Zayn’s set, angry jaw and the fire in his amber eyes. Zayn just looks at him, eyes narrowed, before he walks back over to the bar and grabs a drink. Louis follows, determined to figure out Zayn’s problem. There’s moody and there’s pissed, and Zayn falls into the latter.

 “Zayn, seriously. You look like you’re ready to kill someone. What’s the problem?” Louis asks.

 “The problem is that I just saw you, with your ex boyfriend, on a bed in a dark bedroom. That’s the problem,” Zayn spits, crossing his arms over his chest.

 “Shit,” Louis swears.

 “Yeah, shit,” Zayn repeats. “I went to see where you went since you were gone for so long, and I see that. What the hell, Louis?”

 “You have to believe me that nothing happened with Harry,” Louis promises, holding up his palms in an effort to show his sincerity. “Not even a little bit.”

 “Why should I believe that?” Zayn asks, studying Louis’ face.

 “Because it’s the truth! I swear! I used the bathroom, but when I left I heard noises coming from Niall’s room, and when I went to see who was having sex in Niall’s bed I found Harry arguing with his girlfriend. And I was going to leave, but he saw me and asked me to stay. He was really upset, crying and everything. And I couldn’t just leave him.”

 Zayn regards Louis for a moment, clearly thinking of what to say. He doesn’t get the chance before Louis speaks again.

 “Zayn, you have to believe Harry and I are nothing. We were one hundred percent wrong for each other and it didn’t work for us as a couple. We’re just friends now. And not only that, but he’s good friends with you. Do you think he would do that to you? I was just being a friend, absolutely nothing more.”

 Zayn nods, before exhaling. “Alright. I’m sorry, then. It’s just hard when I see you with your ex boyfriend alone in a bedroom together. It seems pretty incriminating. But if you say you’re not lying then I believe you.”

 “I’m not lying,” Louis says again, looking deep into Zayn’s eyes.

 “But…even if I had hooked up with Harry, do you really have a leg to stand on? I mean, you never said we were exclusive.”

 Zayn looks like he’s been kicked and Louis feels horrible. That is so not the way he wanted to lead into this.

 He reaches out and grabs Zayn’s hand, twisting their fingers together. “I would like for you to have one, though. A leg to stand on, I mean. Or, fuck, I’m such shit at saying this right now. What I mean is…would you, Zayn Malik, like to be in a committed relationship? With me? No guessing or vague comments, but like, a proper, full-on relationship? Strings attached?”

 Zayn looks down at his feet before slowly raising his head to meet Louis’, breaking out into a lazy smile. “Yeah, I would. I really would.”

 Before he can take a breath, Louis surges in, attacking Zayn’s lips with his own. He kisses him fiercely, bringing his hands up to clasp the sides of Zayn’s face. Zayn reciprocates with equal vigor, licking his way into Louis’ mouth, fingers twisting and tangling in his hair. They make out like that until people around them start to whistle and clap, and it’s only then that Louis remembers they have an audience.

 He breaks away, panting, and Zayn’s blushing, his cheeks going crimson. Niall runs over to them, shirtless now, screaming.

 “What the hell was that? You guys are fucking crazy!” He yells, wasted beyond belief.

 “Dude, what happened to your shirt?” Zayn asks, taking in Niall’s appearance. He has yet to find his missing hat, and his chest is covered in what appears to be melted chocolate and spilled liquor.

 “Fuck,” Niall swears, just now realizing he’s left in a pair of tight, green leggings that don’t leave much to the imagination. “I’ve gotta go find it.”

 “Right,” Louis agrees, rolling his eyes. “Good luck with that, Nialler. And don’t lose your pants on the journey!” He yells as Niall half walks, half trips his way through the apartment.

 Zayn wraps his arms around Louis’ waist and bends to murmur low in his ear. “Do you wanna get out of here?”

 Louis smiles from ear to ear. “Yeah, I would. Just give me a sec, I have to tell Liam we’re going.”

 “Don’t take too long,” Zayn instructs, biting his bottom lip and looking so sexy that Louis could melt into a puddle onto the floor. He definitely won’t be long. He finds Liam in the kitchen and bounces over to him, giving him a huge hug, actually lifting him. “It worked, Li! It actually worked, like I talked to him and we’re official! Like boyfriend official!”

 “That’s great,” Liam smiles, picking up Louis’ arms and removing them from where they’re gripped around his back. “But, um…” he looks over to his side, where Louis notices Harry is standing.

 “Oh. Hi, Harry,” he acknowledges, trying to sound upbeat. Even he realizes he was just an insensitive ass, and Louis will rarely admit to that.

 “Hi,” Harry replies, forcing a smile. It looks a little manic, but it’s Harry, so that’s not entirely unusual. “That’s great, really.”

 “Thanks,” Louis says, and it’s so awkward. Liam just looks at the both of them, before starting to speak.”

 “So…”

 “So, I think you should go,” Harry looks at Louis. “You’ve got a boyfriend to get back to, right?”

 “Um,” Louis stalls, looking between Harry and Liam in what might be the most uncomfortable moment of his life. “Right. You’re alright, then?”

 “Yeah,” Harry answers, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I’m going to see her tomorrow, we’ll work it out. So go. I’m happy for you, Lou.”

 “Thank,” Louis smiles awkwardly. “Good luck tomorrow, yeah? Let me know how it goes.”

 “Will do.”

 “Alright. See you later then,” Louis says in lieu of goodbye, heading back to Zayn. That was possibly the most uncomfortable moment he’d ever been in. He’ll have to ask Liam what Harry was saying tomorrow. If he remembers to care after spending all night wrapped up in his boyfriend.

 Louis and Zayn walk slowly back to Louis’ at fist, stopping to kiss against buildings and light posts, until they finally abandon the romance and race each other back to his apartment and straight into his room. They don’t emerge until early afternoon the next day. Zayn talks to Liam for a few minutes before he leaves to paint, leaving Liam at Louis’ mercy.

 “So,” Liam grins. “Have a good night with your boyfriend?”

“The best,” Louis answers while opening the fridge and swigging orange juice straight from the bottle. Liam grimaces and starts to complain, but Louis just shrugs. He honestly couldn’t be bothered to care.

 “So,” he repeats, hopping onto the counter and swinging his sock-clad feet against the cabinets. “How did Harry end up last night?”

 “Not…so great,” Liam hesitates, for a reason unknown to Louis. “I think he and Taylor are breaking up.”

 “Bummer,” Louis says. “He seemed really upset about it.”

 “How much did you talk to him?” Liam asks curiously.

 “A while, I guess,” Louis shrugs. “I went to the bathroom and when I came out I found him crying in Niall’s bedroom. So I sat and comforted him for a bit. Why?”

 “No reason,” Liam says. “Just…be careful with Harry, alright?”

 “Ooookay,” Louis says questioningly. “Whatever you say, weirdo.”

 

Xx

 

Two weeks later and Louis is complaining on Liam’s bed while he gets dressed for a date with Sophia.

 “I can’t even afford to take my boyfriend out, Li. I’m twenty-four years old, nearly twenty-five, and the best I can take him to is a cheap hole in the wall if we both skip appetizers and only drink water. How sad is that?”

 “I thought you have an interview,” Liam mumbles, digging through his closet for a shirt he can’t find.

 “In a couple days,” Louis responds. “But it wouldn’t be until the next year that I’d start. And I’m broke. Like dirt poor broke. I’m not joking when I say I can’t take Zayn out. I don’t even think I can afford to drive over to his place.”

 For all of his dramatics, Louis is surprisingly smart with money. He knows when to spend and when to save. But when he has very little income, it’s hard to manage the meager amount in his wallet. His rent and gas money has pretty much sucked him dry.

 “Zayn doesn’t seem like the type to care about that,” Liam frowns, apparently giving up on the lost shirt and pulling on a new one.

 “He doesn’t,” Louis agrees. “I do.” He vetoes Liam’s shirt and starts sifting through his closet for him. “Much as I want to spend all our time making out on the couch, I also like to go places. And I can’t ask him to pay all the time, so for now I’m stuck. Not that it matters. He has some family thing tonight.”

 “Is it really that bad?” Liam asks. Louis nods.

 “You know I can lend you some-“

 “No,” Louis cuts him off flatly. “Absolutely not. I’m fine. I just have to stay in and barely use my cell phone and eat really, really lightly.”

 “Lou, I-“

 “Not a chance, Liam. But thank you for offering. I think I need to look for something else in addition to subbing. Like bartending or something. That should be pretty good tips, right?”

 “I thought you said you didn’t want to bartend because it might look bad to work with alcohol when you want to teach kids,” Liam recalls, tossing on the shirt Louis hands him and looking himself over in the mirror.

 “I did. But I also wasn’t so desperate that my best friend had to offer me money,” Louis smiles weakly.

 “Look, Louis, I really don’t-“

 “Nope. Stop. Don’t even try to ask again.”

 “Ok. But you know you can ask if you need help, Lou.”

 “I know, Li. Thanks. But I’ll be ok. Just bored, alone on the couch while you eat better food than I will and enjoy living, breathing, in person company,” Louis groans.

 “Do you want to come with us?” Liam asks, raising his eyebrows.

 “I so hope you’re joking,” Louis rolls his eyes. “You don’t have to be nice all the time. Just have fun with Sophia, alright? I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 “Alright. Watch some horrible 80’s movies for me. And buy yourself a pizza,” Liam instructs, hugging him goodbye. Louis pretends he doesn’t feel him slip a bill into his pocket. He really does have the world’s best friend.

 _You suck for ditching meeee_ , Louis sends Zayn, bored out of his skull. He’s all for nights spent doing nothing, don’t get him wrong. But when he works an unpredictable job that’s pretty much always early in the day and as often as he can get it, Louis doesn’t go out during the week. And last weekend was spent holed up in his bedroom with Zayn. So he’s going a little stir crazy.

  _You suck for not being here_ , Zayn sends back. And Louis would have gone with Zayn if Zayn hadn’t told him absolutely not to. The relative whose birthday it was apparently was deeply religious and homophobic, and Zayn told Louis he was only going at the request of his mother and little sister, who complained about not seeing him enough. He has a big heart, too big to say no to his little sister about nearly anything. Louis would find it cute if it didn’t leave him alone on a Saturday night.

  _I’m so bored!_ Louis texts, flipping through the channels for something that wasn’t a lifetime movie or a show about gruesome murders. He wasn’t having any luck.

  _Miss you_ , Zayn replies a half hour later. Louis sighs and sets his phone down. It’s not fun to text Zayn when he takes at least thirty minutes to answer him. Louis is eating Liam’s ice cream straight from the carton when he decides to do something about it.

  _Hey. Liam said you ended it with Taylor. Sorry, man. You ok?._

  _Doing alright_ , Harry answers. _Just bored. I’m alone on a Saturday for the first time in forever!_

 _So come over!_ Louis sends, smiling to himself. He had a feeling this would happen.

  _You sure?_ Harry replies immediately.

  _Yup. Zayn’s at a family thing and Liam’s on a date and I’m bored out of my mind. I would love your company._

_Be there in twenty._

 When Liam comes home, alone, Harry and Louis are shoving each other on the couch.

 “Shut up! You’re so wrong!” Louis shouts, but he’s laughing too.

 “You have no taste!” Harry yells in return, giggling as well.

 “What the hell are you two doing?” Liam asks, eyebrows furrowed, looking at Louis.

 “We were watching music videos,” Louis tells him. “But Harry decided that my taste is ‘uncultured and generic,’ as opposed to his ever-so-hip music taste.”

 “So naturally,” Harry continues, “instead of playfully arguing like a normal human, Louis decided to push me off the couch. But he hits like a three-year-old.”

 “Do not!”

 “Do too!” Harry actually sticks his tongue out and Liam rolls his eyes.

 “You guys are ridiculous. I’m going to change, I’ll be back in a few.”

 Liam reemerges from his room in sweatpants and a t-shirt to find Harry standing, brushing off the legs of his jeans. “I’m gonna take off,” he says, not really looking at Liam. “I’m really tired. I’ll see you guys later, ok?”

 “See ya,” Louis says from his spot on the couch. Liam just looks at Harry, raising his brows. Harry shakes his head and leaves.

 “So…” Liam starts. “How did Harry end up over here?”

 “I was bored,” Louis explains matter-of-fact, keeping his eyes on the TV. “So I texted him. You were out and Zayn’s at his family thing.”

 “Lou, come on,” Liam pushes. “You don’t think Zayn will be bothered that you text your ex-boyfriend the first weekend he’s not around? The ex-boyfriend you’ve already gotten into an argument about?”

 “No,” Louis glares at Liam, clearly angry. “I don’t think Zayn will think that because it’s not like that. I was bored because I haven’t been out in a long time, not because I don’t have Zayn to entertain me. I’m not a child. And it’s not just an ex, it’s Harry.”

 “Exactly!” Liam cries. “It’s Harry! Harry, who you were once obsessed with! Harry, who’s one of Zayn’s best friends! Don’t you think you should keep your distance for a while? Especially since Zayn already thought you hooked up with Harry once!”

 Louis stands, looking at Liam furiously. “I don’t need one of your lectures, Liam! I don’t know why everyone seems to think I can’t keep it in my pants, but Harry and I are just friends! We have been friends for a long time! I don’t need you judging me every time I do a damn thing!”

 Liam looks like Louis struck him. “Fine. Don’t listen to me. But just answer this question: did you even tell Zayn that Harry was here?”

 Louis just looks at the floor.

 “Do what you want Louis, but don’t come crawling to me like you always do when this blows up in your face. Even if you were just hanging out with Harry, it’s still not that simple, is it? And if it was, you would have told Zayn.” Liam turns and stomps into his room, slamming the door behind him.

 

Xx

 

“Hey,” Zayn says when he walks into Louis’ apartment the next afternoon, bending down to kiss Louis on the cheek. He’s sitting at their kitchen table, typing furiously on his laptop. “What are you doing, babe?”

 “Applying for every night time job possible. I’m so fucking broke,” Louis explains, clicking send on an application before he slams his laptop shut. “How was the birthday?”

 “Miserable,” Zayn sighs. “My uncle kept asking why I don’t have a pretty girl to bring to these things and telling me to get a real job instead of doing something girly, like painting. And then my mom would shoot me these apologetic looks and my dad would squeeze something really hard. And my sisters kept kicking me under the table and trying to steal my phone so they could see what you were texting me. And I missed you,” he finished, hooking his foot around Louis’.

 Louis frowns. “I’m so sorry, Zayn. Really. I wish you never had to know people like that, much less be related to them. He’s missing out by not getting to know you, he really is.”

 “Thanks,” Zayn smiles. “But it’s really ok. My parents and my sisters don’t care that I’m gay or that I paint, so that’s what matters. I think my dad would have said something by now, but he’s afraid of losing his brother, so it’s just easier this way. I really don’t see him that much.”

 “If it makes you feel better,” Louis offers, “one day you’ll meet my family, and you won’t be left alone for even a second. My mom will alternate between finding out everything about you and trying to feed you. My older sisters will either mock you mercilessly or be obsessed with you, and the twins will literally hang onto you and beg you to paint their faces. And they’re all as loud as me,” he grins.

 “Can’t wait,” Zayn says, returning Louis’ smile. “Sounds like fun.” Louis kisses him sweetly, then returns to his laptop.

 “So where are you applying?” Zayn asks, watching Louis type.

 “Literally everywhere possible. I applied to a bunch of clothing stores and stuff, because they’ll all be having holiday hours and stuff. I applied to be a waiter. I applied to deliver pizzas and Chinese food. I’m about to respond to male escort ads.”

 “That’s not even a little funny,” Zayn admonishes, smiling in spite of himself.

 “I’m not even a little kidding,” Louis replies. Zayn glares at him. “I’m kidding about the escort ads, obviously. But not about everything else. I’m so desperate that Liam tried to give me money before he left last night.”

 “Where is Liam?” Zayn asks, looking around the apartment, noting how quiet it seems.

 “He’s running, I would guess,” Louis sighs. “He always works out when he’s mad.”

 “What’s he mad about?”

 “We, uh…We kind of had a fight last night,” Louis stammers, looking unsure and hesitant, something Zayn’s not used to seeing.

 “You and Liam had a fight? You never fight,” Zayn frowns, studying Louis’ face. “What did you fight about?”

 “Me, mostly,” Louis sighs. “I, um, I was really bored last night and Liam was out and you were out and I was at home, again, because I had nothing to do and no money to do anything. So Harry came over and we watched TV.”

 “Harry,” Zayn repeats flatly, crossing his arms over his chest.

 “Yeah. But we were just watching music videos, I swear. I would never, ever do anything with Harry! I know I’ve said that a hundred times but I can’t say it enough. We’re over. Completely over.”

 Zayn sighs and looks down at his feet. “Ok,” he says.

 “Ok?” Louis repeats. “That’s all you have to say?”

 “Look, Louis, I’m obviously not happy that you’re hanging out with your ex-boyfriend. I’m really not happy that you didn’t tell me about it, either. But I’m not your keeper, and I trust you, so if you say there’s nothing going on then I’ll believe you.”

 “There’s nothing going on,” Louis tells him. “And I never planned to not tell you, I just didn’t tell you in advance. But I fully planned to tell you when I saw you today. Which I did.”

 “You did,” Zayn agrees. “But that really doesn’t explain why you and Liam got into a fight.”

 “Because I was kind of a dick,” Louis admits. “He said that it wasn’t fair of me to hang out with Harry because he’s an ex and that it’s not right to you. And that I should keep my distance, at least for a while, because of the argument you and I had about him on Halloween. So I kind of told him I don’t need him lecturing me all the time and that he judges me for everything.”

 Zayn sits back and thinks about it before he speaks. “Louis, did you do anything with Harry that you weren’t supposed to?”

 “No!” Louis yelps. He opens his mouth to speak again but Zayn cuts him off.

 “And were you going to tell me you hung out with Harry?”

 “Absolutely,” Louis breathes.

 “Then I don’t think you did anything wrong. But Liam was right about one thing. I don’t like you hanging out with Harry. It’ll drive me crazy with jealousy every time. But if you swear that you guys are just friends now, it’s ok. Harry told me the same thing. And Harry’s probably one of my best friends. So I have to get over it, I guess.”

 “You don’t,” Louis says. “I won’t hang out with Harry if you don’t want me to. I get it. I wouldn’t want you hanging out with one of your exes. It’s just that Harry’s not an ex to me. He was my friend before we dated and my friend after. He’s always just my friend.”

 “Maybe just…just not alone? Like, in your apartment, alone? Is that alright? It’s not that I don’t trust you. I just…I need peace of mind and I can’t help it. I’ll always be jealous of every person who gets a speck of your attention, in every sense, but especially if it’s Harry. If you guys want to go to lunch, fine. Or dinner. Or to play soccer or something. Actually, yeah. Do that, please, I hate playing sports.”

 Louis laughs. “Alright. I’ll tell Harry we can exclusively hang out in restaurants and fields.”

Zayn laughs too. “I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a crazy, controlling boyfriend but I remember when you and Harry were together. And I just don’t want to think about it any more than necessary.”

 Louis leans forward and kisses him. “It’s ok. Although I’ll say it for the last time, I am not interested in Harry in that way. I mean, he likes a hipster band whose name is The Front Bottoms. It’s basically a weird way of calling themselves The Vaginas. How could I like someone who listens to that?”

 Zayn laughs and slides his chair closer to Louis, knocking their knees together. “I guess I have to thank Liam for defending my honor.”

 “I think I have to apologize,” Louis sighs, dropping his head onto Zayn’s shoulder. “I hate apologizing.”

 “Not as much as you hate fighting with Liam,” Zayn points out.

 “I wouldn’t really know,” Louis responds. “I think we’ve only really fought like one other time. We don’t get mad at each other that often.”

 “You’re so lucky you have that, though,” Zayn says. “Most people don’t have lifelong friends like you two.”

 “I know,” Louis sighs. “He’s dealt with a lot of my shit.”

 “I’m sure you’ve done the same for him,” Zayn says. “You know, for someone so confident, you put yourself down a lot. Your fight with Liam wasn’t all your fault.”

 “I guess,” Louis shrugs. “It’s just that Liam speaks out of concern and I speak out of my ass.”

 Zayn breaks into laughter and Louis grins. “It’ll be fine, though. Liam can never stay mad at me for long. It’s not in the Payne genes to be mad at me.”

 “Oh really?” Zayn asks doubtfully.

 “Yeah. Liam’s dad used to take me for driving lessons because my mom was too busy with my sisters and she was getting divorced around that time. So Liam’s dad would let me drive him around a little, like running errands and stuff. I got into a fender bender once, though. His dad was so mad,” Louis laughs remembering it.

 “You crashed his dad’s car?” Zayn asks incredulously.

 “Not that bad! It was barely dented! But the woman whose car I hit was really mad, so I had to pay for her damages. I wanted to pay for his car too, but Mr. Payne wouldn’t take my money.”

 “That was nice of him,” Zayn comments.

 “Well, I didn’t have a lot of money. I worked at a lot of places in high school, but I never had that much money and I got fired from most of them. I was most successful at Toys R’ Us. But it was really nice of him. That’s where Liam gets it from. If it had been Liam who crashed the car, I think Liam would’ve had to pay for it.”

 “Yeah?”

 “Yeah, I don’t think he would’ve gotten away with it. His dad told me I could consider it my birthday present from them that year. But they still got me a gift anyway.”

 “You’re such a brat,” Zayn smiles.

 “I think they were thankful that I actually got Liam out of the house. He was a shy kid. But when we weren’t out, I was pretty much always at his place or vice versa. It was nice to go there when my mom was fighting with my stepdad or if there was too many crying babies. He’s pretty much my brother,” Louis says.

 “Then you’ll make up. It’s not easy to stay mad at someone like that.”

 “No, not really,” Louis agrees. “Especially since he kept trying to give me money. He’s horribly generous like that.”

 “Hence the frantic job search,” Zayn nods at the laptop.

 “I think I was deluding myself into thinking I could hold out on just substituting and the summer camp money,” Louis sighs. “But I’m in, like, frantic mode right now. Sorry I’m not much company right now.”

 “You don’t have to be company, babe,” Zayn assures him. “You just have to be here.”

 Louis smiles, then nudges his black, square glasses up on his nose. Zayn’s never seen him with glasses before, but he likes them.

 “Can I draw you?” Zayn asks.

 “You want to draw me?” Louis repeats. “I’m just sitting on my computer with dirty hair. What about that would be fun to draw?”

 “All of it,” Zayn retorts. “Plus, you look really hot with glasses on.”

 “Ok,” Louis laughs. “Draw away, then.” They sit together for the next hour; Louis looking for jobs while Zayn sketches quietly.

 Liam barges in an hour later, sweaty and flushed.

 “Hey dude,” Zayn nods in greeting.

 “Oh, um, hi,” Liam stammers on his way into his bedroom.

 “So…he’s still mad,” Louis sighs.

 “Just go talk to him,” Zayn nudges him.

 “Now? He’s probably about to get into the shower.”

 “Just go do it, I know you’ve talked to him while he’s in the shower before.”

 “Maybe, but that’s not a very good step to getting him not mad at me. I’ll wait.” They return to their activities until Zayn hears the water stop running.

 “He’s out. Go.”

 “Can you please stop acting like this is such a huge deal?” Louis hisses. “You’re making me nervous. I’ll talk to him when I know you’re not going to be listening through the door.”

 “I’m not going to spy on you,” Zayn hisses back. “I just don’t want you to wait on it and make things worse.”

 “Fine,” Louis huffs, standing. “If I catch you anywhere near that door, we’re done.”

 “You wouldn’t,” Zayn laughs. “You’re talking out of your ass again.” Louis flips him off as he walks to Liam’s door. He knocks twice, then lets himself in.

 “So…I told Zayn,” he says to Liam awkwardly. Liam’s lying on his bed, typing on his phone.

 “Good,” he answers curtly.

 “And I’m sorry,” he mumbles. “I shouldn’t have said you lecture and judge me all the time. I like when you lecture and judge me, kind of. I need it.”

 “You do,” Liam says, but he’s smiling. “I shouldn’t have been so hard on you about Harry. I just don’t want you to get yourself into trouble.”

 “I don’t know why you think I’m going to get into trouble, Liam. I’m not like, desperate, or anything. I’m happy with Zayn, I don’t want anyone else. I’m not going to do anything with Harry.”

 “It’s just…” Liam trails off, unsure of how to continue. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea. But you can make your own decisions.”

 “So you’re not mad at me anymore?” Louis asks, flinging himself on top of Liam’s bed and the person occupying it.

 “No, you idiot! I’m not mad, now get off,” Liam grumbles.

 “You love me!” Louis yells as he goes to join Zayn in the kitchen. He plops himself in Zayn’s lap and wraps his arms around his neck. “We’re not fighting anymore and I’m tired of applying to jobs. Can we make out now?”

 “I would rather you didn’t,” Liam says drily as he pulls a bottle of water out of the fridge.

 “Please leave,” Louis glares at him.

 “I’m going to Sophia’s. Don’t do anything gross in our kitchen,” Liam instructs as he leaves. The door slams and Louis grins at Zayn.

 “Want to have sex in the kitchen?”

 

xx

 

It’s four days later and Louis is freaking out. It’s the middle of the night before his teaching interview, which is really more of an audition than an interview, and he can’t sleep. Liam, the bastard, is at Sophia’s for the night so Louis can’t even climb into his bed and wake him up, too. He sighs and stares at the ceiling for a few minutes more before pulling out his phone.

 “Hello?”

 “Why the hell do you sound so awake?” Louis demands, angry that Zayn appears to be up by choice while Louis is dying to sleep.

 “I was painting. I was just about to go to sleep. Why are you up?”

 “I can’t sleep,” Louis whines.

 “Oh, Louis. Are you nervous for tomorrow?”

 “Yes,” Louis admits. He normally never admits to nerves, but this is important. If he doesn’t get this job, he’s literally screwed. This is the first interview he’s gotten in months and he doesn’t think he’s likely to get another one soon.

 “I’m sorry, babe. But you have nothing to be nervous about. You’re gonna smash it.”

“Smash it?”

"Louis, I’m trying to comfort you. Do you really want to mock my choice of words?”

 “What I really want is for you to be here,” he mutters.

 “I can be there in ten.”

 “Really?”

 “Absolutely. See you in a few.”

 Zayn lets himself into Louis and Liam’s apartment with the spare key they hide under their doormat. He’s told Louis about a million times that hiding a spare key there is pretty much asking to be robbed, but Louis insists that’s the brilliance of it. “Everyone thinks it’s stupid to hide a key under a doormat! That’s why it’s genius! It’s so obvious they won’t expect it!”

 He creeps into Louis’ room, not surprised to find him awake in the dark. “Scoot over,” he nudges Louis over, removing his shirt and slipping under the covers.

 “You ok?” He asks Louis, pulling him over so his head is on Zayn’s chest.

 “Just want it to be over with,” he sighs.

 “Louis, babe, they’re gonna love you,” Zayn croons, rubbing his hand in circles on Louis’ back.

 “They might, but they all love me. They all talk about how I’m so great with kids, how I’m so creative, how my education looks good and all, but then I never get it. Cause I’m the idiot who’s trying to get a teaching job now, when it’s next to impossible. Like I always do well in the interviews, but who do they choose? Me, who looks great on paper but has very limited experience, or the teacher who’s been teaching for twenty-five years and has great reviews but got let go because of budget cuts? I wouldn’t pick me either.”

 “I would,” Zayn says. “You have to think that none of those other jobs were meant for you. This one might be. And you’re going to kill the interview and the kids will love you and they’re going to fall all over themselves trying to offer you the job.”

 Louis doesn’t say anything so Zayn continues. “I’m really proud of you, Louis. You try so hard and you work so hard. And you’re so determined.”

 “Trying hard and being determined doesn’t get me anywhere” Louis mumbles.

 “It gets you further than the kid who quit trying and works for their dad, miserable because they didn’t have the strength you did,” Zayn says. Louis snorts and Zayn lights up.

 “You’re such a cheeseball,” Louis teases.

 “A cheeseball you want in your bed,” Zayn points out.

 “I’m still just trying to make up for punching you in the eye,” Louis laughs. Zayn pokes him and Louis grabs his finger, catching the rest of them and tangling them with his own. “Thanks for coming over here, though. Seriously.”

 “Seriously,” Zayn repeats. “Of course. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”

 “Anywhere, really? Not even the Taj Mahal or Paris or Disneyland?”

 “God, no. No Disney.”

 “I knew you were too cool for Disney!” Louis exclaims.

 “I’m not too cool for Disney, I’m too annoyed by the high prices and three hour waits. Where dreams come true my ass,” Zayn mutters.

 “What a cynic,” Louis laughs.

 “I’m not a cynic, I’m a realist,” Zayn argues.

 “You’re a stereotypical artist who doesn’t like anything cheerful or colorful, that’s what you are,” Louis answers.

 “I like you,” Zayn points out.

 “You’re a sappy stereotype to boot,” Louis adds. Zayn laughs and flips on his side, facing Louis.

 “Can I tell you a secret?” Louis asks. Zayn nods.

 “I’m really happy I punched you in the face,” Louis cackles.

 “You’re sick.”

 Louis kicks him lightly.

 “Fine, I’m happy you punched me in the face, too. Now shut up and go to sleep.” Louis laughs under his breath and flips onto his other side, facing the wall. He feels Zayn kick off his jeans and slide over until he’s spooning Louis, arm wrapped around his waist. Louis smiles to himself and drifts off to sleep.

 His alarm goes off and Zayn groans, tossing his arm over his eyes. “Sorry,” Louis whispers, crawling over him to get out of bed. “Go back to sleep,” he says, soothing his hand over Zayn’s hair.

 “Alright,” Zayn mutters, closing his eyes again. Louis gets in the shower and does his hair, dressing in black dress pants and a blue button down. He would wear a tie but he’s interviewing to teach the third grade, he doesn’t want to look too stiff. Or should he.

 “Zayn? Babe?” He shakes Zayn’s shoulder, rousing him out of sleep.

 “Hmm? You look great,” he smiles, looking at Louis with sleepy eyes.

 “Tie or no tie? I want to look like I care but I don’t want to look too formal. It’s to teach little kids, you know?”

 “No tie,” Zayn says. “How many of your teachers wore ties?”

 “I don’t know,” Louis whines. “Are you sure?”

 “Positive,” Zayn says. “You’re going to do great. They’ll love you.”

 “Ok,” Louis exhales, speaking more to himself than to Zayn. “I should go. I don’t want to be late.”

 “Good luck, babe,” Zayn tells him. “Not that you need it.”

 “I’ll call you when I’m done,” Louis promises. “Actually, no, just stay here. I’m not subbing today because of this so we have the whole afternoon. Just go back to sleep.”

 “I’ll be here,” Zayn answers. Louis gives him a tight smile before he rushes off, looking pale and nervous. Zayn flops back onto the pillows before he drifts back to sleep. It’s only about five minutes before the apartment door slams open.

 “Lou? Are you still here?” Liam calls, running into Louis’ bedroom. “Oh, sorry man. I didn’t know you were here. Or sleeping, apparently. Did Louis leave?”

 “Yeah,” Zayn says slowly, forcing his eyes open again. “You just missed him.”

 “Shit,” Liam swears. “I tried to get back to wish him good luck but I overslept.”

 “It’s alright, he left early,” Zayn assures him. “Didn’t want to be late and all.”

 “Right,” Liam agrees, standing there awkwardly. “Was he nervous?”

 “Really nervous,” Zayn says. “Like, nervous enough to admit he was nervous.”

 “He’s really good,” Liam tells Zayn. “He just had bad luck when it comes to getting a teaching job.”

 “He’s going to get it,” Zayn says. “He will.”

 “I hope so,” Liam agrees, looking worried. “Sorry for waking you up, though. I didn’t know you were here. I’m going to go get a bagel or something, so you can go back to sleep.”

 Zayn nods and Liam decides it’s time to really get to know Zayn more. “Unless you want to come with?”

 “Sure,” Zayn answers. “Just…give me a few minutes.”

 “Yeah, sorry. I’m going to text Louis. I’ll be out in the kitchen when you’re ready.”

 When Louis comes back from his interview, Liam and Zayn are watching The Dark Knight and rapidly yelling about Batman. They don’t even notice him come in.

 “Hi?” Louis says.

 “Louis!” They both jump up and ask “How was the interview?” at the same time.

 “Whoa,” he shakes his head, looking at both of them. “What happened while I was in that interview?”

 “How was it?” Liam asks again, ignoring Louis’ question.

 “It went well, I think. They said they had another interview to do today and then they were going to call me tomorrow. I think they’ve been interviewing for a week or so.”

 “That’s good that you were near the end,” Zayn says. “It means they’ll remember you. Did the kids like you?”

 “I think so,” Louis answers. “They didn’t throw things at me or complain or anything. But they ask the kids to fill out surveys at the end so who knows? I won’t know until tomorrow.”

 “Do you feel better it’s over?” Liam asks.

 “Yeah. Now that it’s over I’m so relieved. And really hungry. Can we get food?” He asks Zayn.

 “Sure,” Zayn agrees, standing and shoving his wallet into the back pocket of his skinny jeans. “Can we finish this later?” He asks Liam.

 “Yeah, man. No problem,” Liam smiles. Louis goes into his room to change and Liam looks at Zayn. “I knew I liked you,” he tells Zayn.

 “Why?” Zayn questions, confused.

 “Partly because you like comics and superheroes,” Liam starts. “But mostly because you’re going to go with him even though you ate a huge bagel not that long ago.”

They both start laughing and Louis walks out, in black skinny jeans and a baseball tee. “What’s so funny?”

 “Nothing,” they both say and start laughing again.

 “Whatever,” he says, rolling his eyes. “You guys are weird. Can we go?”

 xx

 

Zayn, Liam, and Louis are at Niall’s again, for his traditional night before Thanksgiving party. It started when Liam, Louis, and Niall were in high school together, getting drunk before they had to spend the day with their families. It was tradition during college to come home for Thanksgiving and go to the bars the night before, where they would run into everyone they went to high school with. But they grew tired of it, and before long it evolved into a party at Niall’s every Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Niall and Harry are around somewhere, but they haven’t found them yet.

 “I’m gonna grab a drink,” Liam tells the two, wandering off to Niall’s bar area. Zayn grabs Louis’ hand and leads him over to the corner, pressing him against the wall and kissing him, placing light nips along his jaw and neck.

 “You’re in a really good mood tonight,” Louis stammers as Zayn works his way up to Louis’ ear, biting his earlobe and kissing behind it.

 “I’m just really proud of you,” Zayn murmurs, kissing Louis on the lips and twining his fingers through his hair. “You’re going to be the best damn teacher that school’s ever seen.”

 “Who knew you had a teacher fantasy?” Louis giggles, wrapping his arms around Zayn’s waist.

 “What did they say on the phone?” Zayn asks. “They liked your…attitude?”

 “Spirit,” Louis laughs as Zayn moves to his collarbones. “They liked my spirit.”

 “You are energetic,” Zayn mumbles, running his hands down Louis’ sides until he slips them under his shirt.

 “Hey, we’re in public,” Louis gets out. He’s a little distracted. “When did you become such an exhibitionist?”

 “Sorry,” Zayn shrugs, not sorry at all. “I’m just really happy for you.”

 “I’m happy for me too,” Louis agrees. “But this party will be better if I’m not walking around with a raging hard-on. Can we get a drink? Something cold will be best.”

“Can we get spectacularly drunk?” Zayn asks. “I’m in the mood to get spectacularly drunk.”

"Sure,” Louis agrees. “Let’s get shitfaced before we spend tomorrow with our families and tons of food. Sounds good to me.”

 They’re doing shots at Niall’s kitchen counter when the host finds them, Harry and Liam in tow.

 “Dude!” He calls, raising his hand for a high-five from Louis. “Look who’s gonna be corrupting our nation’s youth!”

 “As much as I can,” Louis yells back, smacking his palm against Niall’s.

 “’Atta boy!” Niall shouts, clapping his hand on Louis’ shoulder. “Let’s all do a round,” he orders, grabbing the bottle of vodka and the plastic shot glasses he has on his counter.

 “Congratulations, Lou,” Harry smiles, looking genuinely happy for him.

 “To me!” Louis cheers, raising a shot glass. It’s obnoxious maybe, but he has a job, a perfect boyfriend, and all of his friends along with copious amounts of alcohol. They all knock the shots back and Louis grins. This is his moment.

 Two hours later and Louis is indeed spectacularly drunk. Zayn isn’t faring much better; he actually danced when Louis started blasting Daft Punk and made his own dance floor in Niall’s living room. He feels so sorry for the people who live below him.

 “I need to pee!” Louis shouts over the music to Zayn, who nods and goes to get another drink. Louis trips his way to the bathroom, and when he gets out he sees Harry standing in the hallway, looking right at him. How familiar.

 “Harry!” Louis cries. “You look so tall!” He does. He’s wearing black skinny jeans and a black tee shirt, making his legs and torso look elongated and thin.

 “How much have you had to drink?” Harry asks, although he’s swaying where he stands. He’d done some shots too, cheeks turning pink and eyes red.

 “Not enough,” Louis laughs, slinging an arm around Harry’s neck, tugging on his grown-out curls. “I’m celebrating!”

 “I know,” Harry laughs as he smiles and nods. “Congratulations, Louis. I’m so proud of you.”

 “Thanks,” Louis says, smiling up at him. They look at each other for an uncomfortable beat before Louis starts to move. “I have to get back to Zayn so-“

 “Louis, wait,” Harry says, grabbing Louis’ arm. “I have to talk to you for a second.”

 Louis lets Harry lead him down the hall towards Niall’s room, where it’s free of people. They stand in the dark doorway, Harry chewing on his bottom lip like he’s nervous.

 “What’s up?” Louis asks, confused. He really wants to get back to Zayn before he comes looking for him.

 “I don’t know how to say this, but I’ve been thinking it for a while and I just have to say it,” Harry breathes. “I know you’re with Zayn and I know you’re happy. And I know we were a mess but I can’t stop thinking about us,” Harry spills, grabbing Louis’ hand. “We were really in love for a while, Louis. Real love, good love. The kind of love you just don’t give up on. And I love you,” Harry blurts. “I’m still in love with you.” Louis’ breath hitches as he looks at Harry, standing there with a pained expression on his face. He opens his mouth to speak, to let Harry down gently, but he doesn’t get the chance.

 There’s an “oh,” from the end of the hallway, and Louis looks over to see Zayn standing there. Time stands still for a moment, Louis staring at Zayn, eyes wide, as Zayn’s eyes shift between Harry and Louis. He stares back at Louis for a moment, before narrowing his eyes and storming away.

 “Harry, I…” Louis trails off, before he turns and bolts after Zayn. He runs past Liam, who stares at him before looking back at Harry, putting something together in his mind.

 Louis catches up to Zayn on the street, walking furiously down the sidewalk. “Zayn! Zayn, wait! Please!” Louis yells, tripping over his feet as he chases after him. Zayn pauses and turns to look at Louis, out of breath and panting. Louis reaches out and grabs Zayn’s arm, tugging on it to get Zayn’s full attention.

 “Look, I-“

 “Save it, Louis,” Zayn mutters, looking down at the ground. He’s shifting his feet, moving from one boot-clad foot to the other.

 “Zayn, I swear I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even touch him,” Louis explains, still breathing hard from running after him.

 “It doesn’t matter, Louis. Don’t you see that? It doesn’t matter that you didn’t touch him! It doesn’t matter that you didn’t answer him! I can’t do this,” He mumbles, shaking his head. He goes to move but Louis still has hold of his arm.

 “Can’t do what, Zayn? Can’t be with me? I’ve been absolutely faithful to you, and I want to be. I didn’t do anything! Just talk to me,” Louis pleads, voice filled with the desperate need for Zayn to listen to him.

 “Fine!” Zayn spits. “I can’t be with someone who still has an attachment! Like it or not, Harry’s still in love with you, and I know a part of you loves him too. Why else would you let him lead you to an empty room? Why would you text him the first night I’m around to be with you? Why would you keep an ex-boyfriend on your speed dial? A part of you still loves him, Louis, and a bigger part loves having him wrapped around your finger, like everyone else!  You love having everyone’s attention and you’ll do anything to keep it! And I can’t just be an ‘everyone else’ to you. I can’t deal with that.”

 “It’s not like that,” Louis whispers, begging Zayn to look at him. “Zayn, I swear to God, it’s not like that. If you want me to never see Harry again, I won’t. Please, Zayn. Don’t just go!”

 “How many times are you going to say it’s not like that, Louis?” Zayn asks, his breath coming out in white puffs against the cold night air. “You’re sounding like a broken record.”

 “It’s true,” Louis insists quietly, still holding onto Zayn’s arm. “I only want you.”

 “If that was true,” Zayn says, swallowing hard. “You wouldn’t have gone with Harry. You wouldn’t have put yourself in that position. What would you have said if I hadn’t turned that corner, Louis? What would you have done when Harry kissed you? I remember you with Harry, Louis. I remember you looking at him like he hung the moon and I remember him following you around like a dog! You were inseparable and nauseating. And I remember wanting to punch him every fucking time you kissed him, not me. I remember hating how the two of you lit up the entire room. Don’t tell me it doesn’t mean anything, Louis, because I know it does. Now let me go!” He cries, yanking his arm free from Louis hold and storming down the street.

 “I would have told him I was in love with you!” Louis yells at Zayn’s retreating back. “I would have told him I’m in miserable, stupid fucking love with you, not him. And it would have broken my heart to break his heart, but I would have done it. And don’t tell me that doesn’t mean anything, because it means everything!”

 Zayn halts, frozen in place. He stands still for a moment, before shaking his hand and shoving his hands into the pockets of his black pea coat, continuing down the street without a look back.

 That’s what pushes Louis over the edge. He breaks into tears; ugly, hot tears streaming down his face as Zayn walks away without a word. He’s still standing there, shivering and sobbing, when Liam finds him. He doesn’t say anything, just takes off his coat and wraps it around Louis before he places his arm around Louis’ shoulders and takes him home.

 Liam doesn’t even help Louis into Louis’ own room; he brings him into his room and sits him gently on the bed, grabbing Louis a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants for him to put on. Louis is still shaking, skin cold and teeth chattering. Liam would make him shower if he wasn’t afraid to leave him alone.

 “Come on, Louis, just lay down,” he whispers, helping Louis change into warm clothes and get under the covers. Liam’s only seen Louis cry once before, when his asshole of a father tried to get back in touch with him after years of absolute silence, only to criticize everything about Louis, from his height to his voice to his grades. Louis is tough, really tough, the strongest person Liam’s ever known. Louis worked so hard his entire life to be there for Liam, for his mom, for his sisters; without being asked or wanting anything in return. He knows most people would find it weird for Liam to help his male friend get dressed or voluntarily share his bed with him, but Liam doesn’t care. There’s no one more important to him on the Earth, and Liam isn’t going to leave him for a second.

 He squeezes in next to Louis and wraps his arm around him, letting Louis cry into his shoulder, dampening his shirt, while he rubs Louis’ back and whispers to him in a soft voice. It takes a few hours for Louis to cry himself to sleep.

 Liam wakes up a few hours to Louis’ quiet weeping on the pillow next to his. He shifts on his side to look at his best friend, eyes bloodshot and skin pale.

 “I told him I loved him,” Louis whispers, before breaking into sobs again.

 “Oh, Louis,” Liam sighs, running his hands through Louis’ hair. They stay like that for a long time before Louis speaks again.

 “You knew, didn’t you?” Liam knows Louis is asking about Harry, asking if Liam knew Harry still loved him. Liam did know. He’s known since Halloween, since Harry broke up with Taylor. And he tried to warn Louis without betraying Harry’s feelings on multiple occasions, but subtlety is not Louis’ strong point.

 “Yes,” Liam answers without elaboration. Louis doesn’t respond, just lays there in the dark, sniffling every few minutes until he falls back asleep.

 When Louis wakes up again, it’s not to cry or yell or anything of the sort. It’s to vomit. He runs to the bathroom, just making it to the toilet before the contents of his stomach force their way out. He’s retching over the toilet when Liam joins him, holding a glass of water and two ibuprofen. “Drink this,” he instructs, handing the glass to Louis. Louis does what he’s told, handing the glass back to Liam before lying down on the cool tile of the bathroom floor. Liam sits next to him, running his hands over his head, until Louis sits up suddenly. He retches again, spilling what’s left in his stomach into the toilet. Liam pats his back until he’s done, gulping and coughing.

 “You should take a shower,” he tells Louis. “It’ll make you feel better.” Louis nods dumbly before he stands, reaching over to the wall to steady himself. He flushes the toilet before he turns on the shower, letting the water heat up as he grabs a towel.

 When he gets out of the shower, Liam is waiting for him on his bed, sitting cross-legged on the comforter. Louis pulls on a hoodie and dirty sweatpants, not really caring what he wears as long as it’s warm and comfortable.

 “Are you mad at me?” Liam asks, looking nervous as he studies Louis’ face.

 “For not telling me Harry was still in love with me? No.” Louis studies Liam sitting on his bed, picking at a fray on the cuff of his pajama pants.

 “It really wasn’t your place to tell me Harry loves me,” Louis assures him. “And please don’t worry about me being mad at you, Li. I can never really be mad at you. You’re my brother. Even if you majorly screwed up, I’d still love you. You don’t have to work for it. You’re always just in with me.”

 “Same here,” Liam agrees as Louis takes a seat next to him on the bed. “Do you want to talk about it?”

 “About Zayn? No. About Harry? No. About me crying like an idiot in your bed all night? No. And absolutely not about the New Jersey-sized bottle of vodka I drank last night. I don’t want to talk about any of it.”

 “Ok,” Liam says hesitantly. “But if you do…”

 “I know,” Louis fills in the blank. “Thanks. For everything, Liam.”

 “Of course,” Liam answers. “So…do you want to go to your house, my house, or blow off the entire dinner and order Chinese food today?”

 “Fuck,” Louis swears. “I completely forgot it was Thanksgiving. Shit.”

 “Yeah,” Liam agrees. “Pretty horrible timing.”

 “You don’t have to come with me, you know,” Louis points out. “I’m a big boy, I can handle myself.”

 “Just because you can doesn’t mean you have to,” Liam reasons. “And don’t argue because I’m going with you. Or staying with you, for what it’s worth.”

 “Let’s just split it,” Louis suggests. “My mom makes dessert than yours. And yours will be easier to deal with.”

 “Sounds good,” Liam says.

 “Can I wear sweatpants?” Louis asks.

 “I would normally say no, but you’ve crashed my parents’ car before,” Liam laughs. “I don’t think you in sweatpants will phase them.”

 Louis chokes out a laugh, tears starting to form in his eyes again. “You’re right,” he sniffs, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “I’m going to get dressed anyway.”

 “I knew you would,” Liam grins.

 Liam’s family is polite as ever, not even questioning Louis’ unannounced appearance at dinner, just setting an extra place at the table for him. They don’t comment on the bags under his eyes or the pale pallor of his skin. They congratulate him on his new job and offer him more soda, Louis having told them he’s drank enough alcohol for an entire century. They chat about Sophia, who has yet to meet any of them, despite their constant hounding for Liam to bring her over. And when Liam’s mom starts to ask if Louis is seeing anyone, Liam quickly shakes his head at her to stop her from finishing her sentence.

 Louis’ family is the opposite. They shout welcomes to Liam, saying how happy they are to see him. They comment on Louis’ appearance, asking if Louis is sleeping or sick. His mom mentions Zayn and Louis tenses, before stammering that they’re not really together anymore. Her mouth opens to ask questions before Louis cuts her off.

 “It only happened last night, mom. I really don’t want to talk about it.”

 She nods before busying herself serving everyone pie. But she pulls Louis into the kitchen after everyone’s eaten and Liam doesn’t need to ask how the conversation went, can tell by the way Louis’ mouth his twisted and his hands are shaking.

 “You want to go?” He asks, grabbing his car keys. He didn’t drink either, not wanting Louis to drive. Louis nods and they say their goodbyes. Louis makes it to the car before he starts crying again, wiping the tears away with the sleeve of his sweater. His face is turned out the window, away from Liam.

 “It’s ok to cry, Louis,” Liam’s voice cuts into the silence, making Louis jump. “It doesn’t make you weak or anything. I would be in the fetal position right now.”

 “It’s just,” Louis starts, before cursing under his breath and running his fingers through his hair. “I just don’t know why. Things were finally coming together for me, like really coming together. I finally got a job, I had a boyfriend, my friends and family were happy. I wasn’t worried about something for the first time, like, ever. So naturally, everything had to blow up in my face. I’m such a fucking idiot.”

 “You’re not,” Liam disagrees. “You deserve all of it, Louis, you really do. And you’re going to get everything. Maybe not today, but eventually, you’re going to have it. And it’s going to feel so fucking great, because you deserve all of it and more. You’re such a great person, Louis. You don’t even realize how amazing you are.”

 “I should’ve never agreed to talk to Harry,” Louis mutters.

 “Louis. You drank all the liquor in Niall’s apartment last night. Tell me honestly, did you think anything was going to Harry when you saw him last night?” Liam asks.

 “No,” Louis admits quietly. “I’m so stupid it never even occurred to me.”

 “You’re not stupid,” Liam insists. “You and Harry have been friends for a long time. Maybe you shouldn’t have gone with him, but honestly, he was going to tell you no matter what.”

 “How long?” Louis asks.

 “How long what?” Liam asks, cutting his eyes to Louis for a second before looking back to the road.

 “How long has Harry been…in love with me?” Louis asks.

 “Honestly?” Liam asks. “I don’t know. I think a part of him always thought you two were going to end up together. You were so attached at the hip for a while that I think he overlooked all the problems you two had.”

“We had a lot of problems,” Louis adds.

 “You were horrible at the end,” Liam agrees. “You actually threw a plate at his face one time. But I think once him and Taylor ended it, he forgot about all of your bad and focused on the good. You and Harry were better than Harry and Taylor ever were.”

 “But that doesn’t mean we were meant to be together,” Louis points out, anger lacing his voice.

 “No! Absolutely not,” Liam agrees. “I think he just started comparing you and him to how he was with Taylor and he forgot about all your problems. But you two were absolutely not meant for each other.”

 “Definitely not,” Louis echoes. They drive in silence until Louis sighs.

 “I have to talk to him, don’t I?” Louis asks.

 “To Harry?” Liam asks carefully. Louis nods.

 “Yeah. I think so.”

 

Xx

 

“Hi,” Harry says nervously when he opens the door to his apartment. Louis walks in without speaking, sitting on his couch and staring straight ahead. Harry sits next to him hesitantly, waiting for Louis to say something.

 “Harry, I-“ he starts, but Harry cuts him off.

 “Louis, it’s ok,” Harry says. “I know you don’t love me. It’s ok. I think I just had to get it out. But, for what it’s worth, I never intended for Zayn to hear that. I’m so, so sorry that he overheard. I feel so horrible that you two are broken up.”

 “How did you know we broke up?” Louis asks, unable to focus on anything else.

 “Niall told me,” Harry admits sheepishly. “Zayn’s not speaking to me. Not that I blame him.”

 “For what it’s worth,” Louis repeats, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry if I led you on at all. And I really do care about you, Harry, but only as a friend. And I don’t think I can see you at all for a while. Not until I talk to Zayn.”

 “I understand,” Harry nods solemnly. “He’ll talk to you eventually, Lou. Don’t give up on him. He’s stubborn, but he has a big heart. And he loves you, too.”

 “You sure?” Louis chokes bitterly.

 “Positive,” Harry assures him. “Zayn’s a softie underneath his tough exterior. He was so…different with you. He was happy. And he smiled and actually danced, Louis. You got him to dance in the middle of Niall’s apartment.”

 “I don’t think that was me as much as the bottle of vodka we drank,” Louis protests.

 “Nah, Zayn can hold his liquor. That was all you,” Harry smiles. “Are you going to go to his art show?”

 “That’s Saturday, isn’t it?” Louis asks. Harry nods. “Shit. You think I should go?”

 “I think it’s important that you go,” Harry answers him. “I think Zayn puts more of himself into his art than his words. You might find what you’re looking for.”

 “You’re smart, Harry,” Louis says. “Some boy or girl is going to be lucky to have you.” He hugs Harry before he leaves, quick and uncomfortable. He doesn’t have Zayn back, but Louis is already starting to feel much better.

 

Xx

 

“Liam!” Louis calls from his bedroom. “Can you help me?”

 “What’s up?” Liam asks, frowning in worry.

 “What do I wear to an ex-boyfriend’s art show when I want to tell him I’m still madly in love with him and never loved my other ex-boyfriend?” Louis asks. “Like, what shirt says ‘forget about Harry, I never loved him and I want you back desperately?’”

 “I think,” Liam ponders slowly, “that in a situation like this, you have to go for all black. It’s a classic, right? And everyone looks good in black.”

 Louis grins, remembering saying those words in September, when Liam was getting ready for his first date with Sophia. “I think you’re right, Li. Can’t go wrong with black, can I?”

 “Especially not an art show,” Liam agrees. “I bet there’s a lot of black. Black and oversized glasses and ironic haircuts.”

 “You’re still coming, aren’t you?” Louis asks, slipping into a black button down.

 “I’ll be there,” Liam tells him. “Sophia will be there, too.”

 “Thanks,” Louis breathes gratefully. “Does she know? Like what’s going on? So if I need to make a quick exit-“

 “We’ll be ready,” Liam assures him. Louis nods and takes a deep breath, hands trembling as he tries to do the buttons on his shirt. He’s about to try to win his ex-boyfriend back at his art show in front of a ton of strangers. No big deal, right?

 It’s a huge deal. When Louis, Liam, and Sophia walk into the art studio, they all pause in their tracks.

 “Oh my God,” Sophia exhales in awe. The gallery is full of people and full of paintings. Beautiful paintings, spread around the room in what appears to be a purposeful array.

 "Yeah,” Louis swallows, taking in the canvas closest to the door. And the one next to it, and the one next to that. He sees the bar where they first spoke to each other, he sees himself gesturing wildly as Liam laughs and Zayn observes from a corner. Louis laughs to himself when he sees a self-portrait of Zayn with a black eye. He sees a painting that’s a collage of images focused around a pair of eyes, bright blue eyes. He sees a painting of a shirtless Peter Pan, and another of a turquoise kitchen table in a messy kitchen. He sees painting after painting, some clear and some abstract, but all focused on the same thing: him. Him and Zayn, Them.

 “Fuck, Lou,” Liam mutters. “These are incredible. Did you know he was so talented?”

 “I figured,” Louis replies, still looking around in shock. “But I had no idea he was this…amazing.”

 “Hi,” Louis hears someone say quietly behind them. He turns around and sees Zayn standing there, chewing on his bottoms lip. He’s wearing a black Henley and a pair of ripped jeans and fuck, Louis’ heart has dropped to his feet.

 Liam grabs Sophia’s hand and leads her away, keeping his eyes on Louis and Zayn the whole time.

 “Hi,” Louis returns quietly. “Zayn, these are…they’re me, aren’t they? These paintings are about us?”

 Zayn nods, looking at Louis with an anxious expression.

 “They’re incredible, Zayn,” Louis tells him. “Really. They’re amazing.” Zayn’s shoulders relax, but his face still looks uneasy.

 “I should’ve told you,” Zayn mutters. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but I didn’t think you’d mind.”

 “I don’t mind,” Louis says quickly. “I don’t mind at all. I just…I miss you. I miss you so much, Zayn. And I’m so sorry for everything that happened that night, but I can’t tell you enough how serious I was. I don’t love Harry, not at all. I never loved Harry. I never told Harry I loved him, not once. I’ve only ever said that to one person, and that’s you. I meant what I said, Zayn. I love you.”

 Zayn opens his mouth, then shuts it. He studies Louis for a moment. “Louis…I can’t do this right now. I’m sorry.” He walks away and Louis stands there, waiting for the floor to open and drop him into the pit of the Earth. He stands, frozen, until Liam comes rushing over.

 “Let’s go,” he commands, and Louis nods, unable to speak if he wanted to. He doesn’t say a word the entire train ride home. When they get back to the apartment, he goes straight to his room, leaving Liam and Sophia on the couch. There’s a quiet knock on his door before Liam cracks it open.

 “Lou? Are you alright?”

 “Yeah,” Louis replies, swallowing his tears. “I’m fine. I said it, you know? At least he knows now.”

 “I’m so sorry, man,” Liam says apologetically. “I never thought it would go that way.”

 Louis doesn’t respond, just squeezes his eyes shut to blink back the hot tears he feels forming.

 “Do you want me to tell Sophia to go? We can just stay in here and do whatever you want,” Liam offers.

 “No, no way,” Louis insists. “Go back out there. She’s really great, Li. I’m happy for you. Tell her I’m sorry I was such horrible company.”

 “If you’re sure,” Liam hesitates.

 “I’m sure,” Louis says. “Please. I just want to be alone for a while.”

 “Ok,” Liam says. “I’m right outside if you need me.”

 Louis nods, before changing into a ratty hoodie and pajama pants and getting into bed. He’s trying to fall asleep when he hears Liam start to yell.

 “What the hell are you doing here?” Liam spits angrily. He really doesn’t have it in him to yell, but he’s the angriest Louis thinks he’s ever heard him be.

 “I just want to talk to Louis,” Zayn mumbles. Louis feels paralyzed, like he should go out there but he can’t move.

 “You’re such a dick,” Liam yells. “Do you know how upset Louis has been for the past few weeks over you? All because you heard something you didn’t like?”

 “I-“ Zayn stammers before Liam cuts him off again.

 “Do you even know how loyal Louis is? He wasn’t going to cheat on you, you moron. And he doesn’t love easily, so you got fucking lucky. He’s had enough heartbreak in his life, he doesn’t need it from you too!”

 “I know!” Zayn yells back, and that’s what does it. Louis jumps out of bed and rushes into the living room, where Zayn and Liam are staring each other down, Sophia looking extremely conflicted.

 “Hi,” Louis says, stepping in front of Zayn. “Liam, can you go into your room, please?”

 Liam starts to protest and Sophia shushes him, grabbing his hand and dragging him into his bedroom. Louis knew he liked her.

 “What are you doing here?” Louis asks, looking into Zayn’s amber eyes.

 “I, um, I wanted to know…is it true? You love me?” Zayn asks, returning Louis’ gaze.

 “Unfortunately,” Louis replies. “I’m stupidly, pathetically in love with you. Jerk.”

 Zayn laughs and grabs Louis’ hand, tugging him forward. He kisses Louis hard, hungrily, before breaking away.

 “I love you too.” They’re kissing again, pressed tightly against each other, hands in hair and under shirts and tongues roaming each other’s mouths before Louis stops.

 “Wait. We have to; we have to talk about this. What changed your mind?”

 “I love you,” Zayn shrugs. “Once I admitted it to myself, it seemed stupid to be anywhere else but with you.”

 Louis smiles in spite of himself, but he forces himself to say it before he loses himself in Zayn again. “But…I told you. I told you twice, Zayn. And both times, you left.”

 “I’m sorry,” Zayn apologizes. “I’m so, so sorry. I just kept thinking of you and Harry and…I don’t know, Louis. You’re so…beautiful. You’re beautiful and intelligent and strong and fearless. How could you possibly want me when you’re all of that? Harry’s so kind and gentle and-“

 Louis cuts him off, kissing him swiftly. “I don’t want to talk about Harry. I don’t ever want to talk about Harry again unless it’s in a completely non-related to this issue way. I don’t love Harry. I love you. You, who’s just as beautiful, and intelligent, and wickedly talented.”

 “Have you really never said that to anyone before?” Zayn asks.

 “Never,” Louis swears. “I’m hard to please, Malik. I don’t fall easily.”

 Zayn laces his fingers with Louis’ and fiddles with the end of Louis’ shirt with his other hand. “So…can you tell me again?”

 “I, Louis Tomlinson, love you, Zayn Malik. I am hopelessly, foolishly in love with you. And if you don’t kiss me right now I’m going to give you another black eye.”

 Zayn laughs and kisses him again. “I’m hopelessly, foolishly in love with you, too. And I feel honored and so incredibly lucky that you feel that way, and I’ll spend every day showing you it’s worth it.”

 Louis smiles. “You already did.”

 

Xx

 

“Are you sure you want to move in with him?” Liam asks Zayn, wiping sweat from his brow. “You know he wakes up at the crack of dawn and bothers you until you get up, too.”

 “Zayn sleeps like the dead,” Louis tells Liam. “It’s why we’re meant to be,” he adds, kissing Zayn’s cheek with a loud smack.

 “Are you sure you want to marry him?” Louis asks Sophia. “He can’t get dressed by himself, ever.”

 “I think I can handle that,” she answers, shoving the last box into her trunk. “I think that’s everything.”

 “I’m going to grab a glass of water,” Zayn says. “I’ll see you soon,” he adds, hugging Liam and Sophia goodbye.

 “Li, I’ll be in the car,” she tells Liam, sliding behind the steering wheel. Liam and Louis look at each other for a minute before they crash into each other, squeezing each other tightly.

 “I’m going to miss you so much, Liam,” Louis whispers.

 “Me too,” Liam agrees. They stand like that for a little before separating.

 “I love you, dude,” Louis grins. “I’m going to visit you a lot. I’ll become a fixture of your house.”

 “I can deal with that,” Liam replies. “I can’t go too long without my best man.”

 “Zayn’s great and all,” Louis begins, making sure to speak loudly as he sees Zayn stepping back outside. “But he doesn’t cuddle like you do.”

 “No one can help me choose an outfit like you can, Lou. Don’t tell Sophia, but I think your fashion sense is better.”

 “I heard that,” She calls from inside the car.

 “Yeah, same here!” Zayn yells from the steps, watching Louis and Liam standing in front of Liam’s idling car.

 “I guess this is it, then” Liam breathes, looking at Louis.

 “I guess so,” Louis smiles sadly.

 They hug again, and they’re both wiping their eyes when they pull away. “I love you, Liam. You were the best roommate I could ever ask for,” Louis sniffs.

 “Likewise,” Liam laughs shakily. “I’ll call you tonight.”

 Louis nods, going to stand next to Zayn as Liam gets into the car. He wraps his arms around Zayn’s waist and watches Sophia and Liam drive away.

 “Fuck, why am I crying?” He laughs, drying his eyes with the hem of his tank top.

 “Because your best friend is moving out,” Zayn says. “It’s not bad to cry, Lou.”

 “I just…I’m excited to live with you, obviously,” Louis stutters.

 “But I’m not Liam,” Zayn finishes for him. “It’s alright. We’ll visit him a lot. And he’ll be here a lot, too, I’m sure of it.”

 “I hope so,” Louis replies, removing himself from Zayn. “Come on, let’s go upstairs. You have a lot of unpacking to do.”

 “And you have a lot of lesson plans to write,” Zayn reminds him. “School starts again in two weeks.”

 “I know,” Louis says. “But I’m going to recycle a lot from last year. Seemed to work pretty well.”

 “They loved you,” Zayn reminds him. “What did a couple kids tell you? The best teacher they ever had?”

 “Hey,” Louis says. “Keep that up and I’m going to get a big head.”

 “You already have a big head,” Zayn laughs. “But I’m so proud of you. I knew you could do it.”

 “It definitely beats substituting while delivering pizza's," Louis laughs. " But I’m not the one who sold, like, a thousand paintings,” he teases.

 “Yeah, you’re now hanging in apartments and homes around the country,” Zayn says. “How does that feel?”

 “Eh,” Louis shrugs. “Seems like the people in those homes are pretty lucky to have a Zayn Malik original on their walls.”

 “You have a couple Zayn Malik originals on your walls,” Zayn points out.

 “Yeah,” Louis says. “I’m pretty lucky, though.” He grabs Zayn’s hand and swings it between them as they walk back up the stairs to their home.


End file.
